A points failure at Hitchin means that fewer trains are able to run on some lines. Trains running through this station may be delayed.

Disruption is expected until 09:00.

Customer advice

Great Northern / Thameslink

Great Northern and Thameslink services are expected to be disrupted this morning, due to a points failure in the Hitchin area. The following service changes are expected:

• Great Northern services that run between Kings Lynn and Kings Cross will run between Kings Lynn and Camridge only
• Great Northern services that run between Letchworth Garden City and Kings Cross will be cancelled
• Other Thameslink and Great Northern services may no longer stop at Hitchin or Arlesey

Please check before you travel this morning. You may need to take a different train than planned, or change trains en route. We'd advise allowing extra time - at least an extra 20 minutes.

Planning your journey:

You can check train departures from your station here:

• Thameslink live departure boards
• Great Northern live departure boards

You can view live maps of the network here:

• Thameslink live route map
• Great Northern live route map

You can also use the apps to find up-to-date information.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

A points failure has been reported, and this is preventing trains from using some of the routes through this area.

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.

Network Rail will send their specialist Signalling & Telecoms teams to site, and they will set up a safe method of working on the track. To allow staff to access the railway, sometimes we have to stop trains completely, which can lead to your train being held at stations or signals en route.

As soon as it's safe to go on the line, the staff 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.