A fault with the signalling system between Elephant & Castle and Bromley South means that all lines are blocked. Thameslink trains running between these stations may be delayed by up to 10 minutes.
Disruption is expected until 13:00.
Customer advice
Trains that run between Sevenoaks and London Blackfriars, will be delayed by up to 10 minutes whilst travelling between Bellingham and Nunhead, in both directions. Please allow extra time to complete your journey, and check station screens and planners for the latest information.
Planning your journey:
Live departure boards can be found here, and you can also view a live map of the network here.
If you're travelling in the London area, you can plan journeys on alternative routes by using the TfL Journey Planner here. You can also use the Thameslink app to find up-to-date information.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
An axle counter failure is blocking the lines, in both directions, on the route between Elephant & Castle and Bromley South.
This part of the network uses axle counters to detect whether trains are in the area. These are electrical systems which check the passage of train wheels and monitor whether a train is on a section of track. They operate as part of the signalling system, which is designed to be "fail safe".When an axle counter fails, the signalling system will interpret this as a train remaining in place, even though there may not be a train present at all, or the previous service may have long since left the area.
As a result, further trains cannot be automatically allowed onto the relevant section of track. Usually, train drivers will be stopped by red signals on approach. They will then get verbal permission from the signaller so that they can proceed, and will run at a heavily-reduced speed as far as the next signal. This is so that the drivers will stop safely if they see anything ahead of them.
However, in this instance, there are multiple failures, making it unsafe to run on this section of track.
Axle counter faults can be caused by a number of different issues, including electronic faults and debris coming into contact with them. Network Rail manage the signalling system, including axle counters, and their staff will be investigating as quickly as possible. .
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.