Disruption in the South Croydon area expected until 12:30 

Route(s) affected

the South Croydon area

Description

A points failure in the South Croydon area means that some lines are blocked. As a result, trains running in the South Croydon area may be cancelled, delayed or revised.

Disruption is expected until 12:30.

Customer advice:

Due to a points failure in the South Croydon area, some services may be subject to cancellations or alternations. You may need to use an alternative service to complete your journey.

Some services between South Croydon and Uckfield will be affected. This means some Southern railway services will terminate and restart at Crowborough. Additionally, some Southern railway services towards East Grinstead may also be subject to minor delays.

For the latest information check station screens, speak to station staff and use online journey planners.

Ticket Acceptance:

You may use your ticket at no extra cost on the following;

• Thameslink services from Haywards Heath / East Grinstead towards London

• Southeastern services between Tunbridge Wells and London

• Brighton & Hove Buses routes: 29 / 29B / 29X - Brighton (St Peter’s Church), Moulsecoomb (Brighton University), Falmer, Lewes (Post Office / Law Courts), Uckfield, Crowborough, Eridge, and Tunbridge Wells

If you are travelling from Buxted:

If you are travelling from Buxted in the direction of Oxted, please speak to station staff or press the help point at your stations for further assistance to complete your onward journey.

If you are travelling from Uckfield:

If you are travelling from Uckfield in the direction towards London, Southeastern ticket acceptance is in place for passengers travelling from Uckfield to alternatively travel from Tunbridge Wells instead. Please speak to station staff or press the help point at your station for further assistance.

Planning your journey:

You can use live departure boards, a live map of the network and the alternative route guide to help you.

If you're travelling in the London area, you can plan journeys on alternative routes by using the TfL Journey Planner.

The Southern app will also help you plan your journey.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

A points failure has been reported in the South Croydon area, and this is preventing trains from using some of the routes through this area.

Points are moveable sections of track which can send trains onto different routes at junctions. These are part of the signalling system, generally managed by Network Rail.

Points can stop moving correctly for a number of reasons. For example, there may be an obstruction in the moving parts, or the electronic control systems may have developed a fault.

There are various backup systems which allow signallers to try to "set" the points, and in some cases, the points may be available for trains in one of the directions they serve, but not another. However, with more severe failures, the line in question may be blocked entirely.

Network Rail will send their specialist Signalling & Telecoms teams to site, and they will set up a safe method of working on the track. To allow staff to access the railway, sometimes trains have to stop completely, which can lead to your train being held at stations or signals en route.

As soon as it's safe to go on the line, the staff will diagnose the fault and find any quick solutions to resolve it.

Whilst this is being done, train operators will be monitoring progress closely. At times, replacement parts may be needed, or specialist advice from suppliers, which is why some points failures take longer to resolve than others.

Check before you travel:

You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.

Compensation:

You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.