Major London Rail Disruption Sparks "Do Not Travel" Warnings After Derailment and Signalling Failures

Major rail disruption is significantly affecting travel across London and south-east England following a series of incidents. A train derailment, combined with major signalling system failures, has caused widespread service cancellations, severe delays, and urgent "do not travel" advisories for passengers.

This disruption impacts several key rail operators. Services on the Southern, Thameslink, and Gatwick Express routes have been suspended. Additionally, London Overground services have been halted due to the derailment. This multi-operator shutdown is creating extensive travel chaos, especially during peak commuter hours, with major knock-on effects for travel to and from Gatwick Airport. Passengers are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential journeys on the affected routes.

Network Rail engineers and emergency response teams are on-site, working to assess the damage and begin essential repair work on both the derailed train and the signalling infrastructure that failed. However, the complexity of the incidents means that full service restoration may take a considerable amount of time. The exact cause of the derailment and the simultaneous signalling failure is still under investigation.

Travel authorities urge passengers to anticipate ongoing severe disruption throughout the day and to seek alternative transportation where possible. Commuters are encouraged to check live service updates from National Rail and individual train operators before undertaking any travel. These incidents highlight ongoing concerns about the resilience of the UK's rail network and its impact on the regional economy and daily commuting life.