Delays between Luton and London St Pancras International expected until 21:00 

Route(s) affected

East Midlands Railway between Sheffield / Nottingham / Corby and London St Pancras International

Thameslink between Bedford and East Grinstead / Gatwick Airport / Three Bridges / Brighton, and between Luton and Rainham (Kent) / Orpington

Description

Trains between Luton and London St Pancras International are affected by the following incidents:

• a fault with the signalling system between West Hampstead Thameslink and London St Pancras International (trains are running at a reduced speed on the line towards London St Pancras International)

• the emergency services dealing with an incident at St Albans City (all lines have now reopened)

As a result, trains running between these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes.

Disruption is expected until 21:00.

Network Rail are on site investigating the problem.

East Midlands Railway customer advice:

Trains running through the area will be delayed by 5-10 minutes, you should continue to travel as originally planned.

Thameslink customer advice:

Southbound Thameslink services that run from Bedford, Luton or St Albans City may face delays in the St Albans City area whilst Thameslink work to get trains back on time after an emergency services incident.

At present, you can travel using your usual route but your train may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or face alterations meaning it could not stop at all its usual stops.

If you are travelling between London and Bedford, please allow additional time to complete your journey this evening in both directions and check in advance before you leave to travel.

Planning your journey:

You can see the live departure boards, and view a live map of the network.

You can also view an alternative route guide.

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

You can use the Thameslink app to find up-to-date information.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

This part of the network uses track circuits to detect trains. If a circuit fails, the system may think a train is still there, blocking others from moving forward.

Drivers must stop at red signals and get verbal permission to proceed at a reduced speed, which can cause significant delays, especially in areas with long track sections.

Faults can be caused by electronic issues or track obstructions. Network Rail is investigating, and updates will be shared as soon as Thameslink have them.

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.