Disruption between Welwyn Garden City and Alexandra Palace expected until the end of the day
Service alteration details
Incident reported: Saturday 23 May 2026 at 14:55
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Last updated
Saturday 23 May 2026 at 15:09
Train operators affected
Route(s) affected
between Welwyn Garden City and Alexandra Palace
Description
A fault with the signalling system between Welwyn Garden City and Alexandra Palace means that fewer trains are able to run on all lines. As a result, trains through these stations may be cancelled or delayed by up to 10 minutes.
This is expected for the remainder of the day.
Customer advice:
A reduced number of trains are able to run on this route and some trains may be delayed by up to 10 minutes.
You can continue to use your planned route to travel, however we recommend checking journey planners for the latest train information ahead of travelling and allowing extra time to complete your journey.
Planning your journey:
You can check train departures from your station here:
You can view live maps of our network here:
You can also see our alternative route guides here:
If you're travelling in the London area, you can plan journeys on alternative routes by using the TfL Journey Planner.
The Great Northern and Thameslink apps will also help you plan your journey.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
A signal in this area is unable to show the normal coloured light indications to drivers, and instead, it's showing a red light. This means drivers have to stop at the signal and gain verbal instructions to continue. To reduce delays and congestion caused by this, some trains have been cancelled.
Railway signals are designed to warn drivers that they have to stop because the system can't yet confirm that the route ahead is clear. In most places, the signalling system will show a green light, or aspect, when the track is clear for a long distance ahead, and drivers will then be shown one or two yellow lights to warn them when they are approaching a red signal. This means that they can anticipate the amount of braking that's required to stop before they reach another train or any form of problem on the line.
Signalling runs on "fail safe" principles, so if the signals can't step through the usual colours, they will instead show a more restrictive colour - for example, red instead of green. This means drivers will have to stop, but in fact, the route ahead may still be clear. This leads to delays.
The signalling system is maintained by Network Rail and they have carried out an inspection to identify the cause of the fault. As more intensive works are required to repair the fault, they will attend the area again tonight to complete the required repairs.
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.
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