Travel
Second day of London travel chaos as nine major Tube lines face delays
Commuters travelling into and around London this morning are facing major delays for a second day in a row, with bad weather, fire alerts and signalling faults hampering Tube and train routes.
There are currently “severe delays” on the Elizabeth line due to an earlier signal system fault, according to Transport for London (TfL).
National Rail said: “Lines have now reopened following a fault with the signalling system between Abbey Wood and London Paddington.
“Whilst service recovers, Elizabeth line services may still be cancelled or revised.”
Delays and cancellations are expected to continue until 1pm.
TfL has also reported severe delays on the Circle and District lines due to an earlier fire alert at High Street Kensington.
The Hammersmith and City line has been affected by the fire alert, with delays between Edgware Road and Hammersmith and on the rest of the line.
A separate fire alert at Clapham North has caused minor delays on the Northern line.
Elsewhere, no Piccadilly line service is running between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge due to “poor rail conditions caused by significant leaf fall” with severe delays on the rest of the line due to a points failure at Northfields.
On the Central line travellers may experience minor delays between Leytonstone and Hainault via Newbury Park due to train cancellations.
Tickets are being accepted on alternative London Underground routes, local buses and the London Overground.
Tube delays
Severe disruption is ongoing across various National Rail routes with some lines closed due to flooding.
National Rail issued a “do not travel” warning to London commuters following heavy flooding between Blackfriars and London St Pancras International.
“Multiple incidents across the Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Southern networks means many lines are disrupted,” it said.
The disruption is expected to last until 2pm, said the rail provider, with trains being cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised.
“It is strongly advised that you delay travelling until this afternoon. There will be heavy disruption for trains in and out of central London, and your journey could take up to an hour longer than usual,” advised National Rail.
As Storm Conall swept the UK, Thameslink warned that “heavy rain flooding” had pulled the brakes on transport between St Pancras and London Bridge.
In an update on X, the train service said: “If you plan to travel on Thameslink services this morning you are advised not to travel until later today.”
Trains that normally run between St Albans and Sutton will only run between St Albans and Kentish Town and there is no Thameslink service between London Blackfriars and Sutton.
Gatwick Express services are also suspended along with direct services between Reigate and London Victoria and Great Western Railway services on the route between Reigate and Gatwick.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast