A points failure between Shepherds Bush and Watford Junction is disrupting Southern services between these stations. Trains may be delayed by up to 45 minutes or revised.
Disruption is expected until 17:00.
Customer advice:
Southern services are being disrupted on the route between East Croydon and Watford Junction.
Some trains will be unable to run between Shepherds Bush and Watford Junction, via Wembley Central and Harrow & Wealdstone.
There are also delays to a number of trains which are already in the area.
We don't have an exact estimate for the delay to your journey, but please leave at least 30-45 minutes of extra time.
If there's a long wait until the next train, you may wish to consider using another route.
Your ticket will be valid at no extra cost on:
- London Underground services on any reasonable route across London
- London Buses between the Shepherds Bush, Wembley, Harrow and Watford areas
- London Overground and London Northwestern Railway services between London Euston and Watford Junction
- Alternative Southern services between Clapham Junction and London Victoria, to connect with London Underground services
- Chiltern Railways services between Wembley Stadium and London Marylebone
London Overground services are also disrupted by this incident, as well as a trespass incident at Willesden Junction.
Planning your journey:
Live departure boards can be found here.
You can view a live map of the network here.
You can also see an alternative route guide here.
In the London area, you can plan journeys on alternative routes by using the TfL Journey Planner here.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
A points failure has been reported, and this is preventing trains from travelling on this route.
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 like this one, the route is blocked entirely.
Network Rail have sent their specialist Signalling & Telecoms teams to site as a priority, and they will set up a safe method of working on the track. As soon as it's safe to go on the line, they will diagnose the fault and find any quick solutions to resolve it.
Whilst this is being done, we 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.