A broken down trains between between East Croydon and Purley means some lines towards East Croydon are blocked. As a result, trains running between these stations may be delayed.
This is expected until 19:00.
Customer Advice:
Delays are possible between Purley and East Croydon, affecting trains towards East Croydon and London. At present, delays of around 5-10 minutes are expected.
In addition to this, trains that stop at Purley Oaks may be subject to platform alterations so please double check your platform if travelling from this station.
You can travel using your normal route but please allow some extra time for your journey.
Planning your journey:
Live departure boards can be found here.
You can view a live map of the network here.
You can also use our app to find up-to-date information.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
Unfortunately, a train has developed a fault in the Purley Oaks area this evening. The nature of the issue means it can't move, so it's blocking the line through this area towards East Croydon and London.
It's likely that in this case, Southern and Thameslink will need to send their specialist engineers to site, known as "fitters". They have fitters based in key locations around the network, 24 hours a day, and they are able to attend anywhere on the routes. Once they are on site, we'll then monitor progress updates and ensure that the railway can be reopened as promptly as possible.
Southern and Thameslink may also need to send another train to tow the defective one away. This procedure, known as arranging a rescue train, will be done as quickly as possible, usually by sending a similar type of train to attach. The combined train will be taken out of use and sent to a depot.
Until the defective train can be moved, Southern and Thameslink will try to find a way to get other trains around the issue. This depends how many lines are available, and whether the signalling equipment is set up to allow trains to be routed around the problem. This is more often the case on our major routes, but not always. We'll work with Network Rail's controllers to decide how many more trains can be sent through the area, and if this isn't possible, we'll see what alternative solutions are available to help you continue your journey.
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.