An obstruction on the track between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon means some lines are blocked. As a result, trains running between these station may be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes.
Disruption is expected to continue until 10:30.
Customer Advice
No trains can run on the mainline between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon, instead having to run on a diversionary route around Redhill. This will mean the following stations will not be served in the direction of London:Â
- Earlswood
- Redhill
- Merstham
- Coulsdon South
If you are at one of these stations you might find it quicker to take a train to Gatwick Airport and change for a return service. Please check station screens and planners for the latest information.
Southbound
There will be a temporary disruption to the trains travelling in the direction of Gatwick whilst a line block is taken to remove the obstruction on the track. You can travel as normal but should allow up to 15 minutes extra to complete your journey.
Ticket acceptance
Your ticket will be accepted on the following, at no extra cost:Â
- Mutually between Southern and Thameslink
- Metrobus between Three Bridges and Redhill
- London Buses between Redhill and London
- London Underground between terminating stations
- Great Western Railway between Gatwick and Reigate
To help plan your journey you can find an alternative route map here.Â
To see if your route is affected you can find a live map here.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
We've been informed of a problem with the shoe gear on a train at Purley. To allow trains to draw power from the electric third rail, they are fitted with metal plates near the wheels, known as shoe gear.
Although this system is very reliable, there are still various issues which can occur. Shoe gear equipment is designed to detach if it comes into contact with an obstacle, rather than transferring damage to the rest of the train. For less significant items on the track, like bags or litter, the shoe gear may be obstructed and the items may need to be removed before the train can continue.
As trains have multiple sets of shoes, it's sometimes the case that a fault doesn't come to light immediately, but instead, it may only be noticed when the train travels over a specific part of the track where those shoes are in use. This means that an investigation may be needed to find out the location of the damage, and prevent further issues from occurring.
Train shoes can also be affected by other issues, such as problems with the power supply leading to electrical arcing.
When a train's shoe gear have been damaged, it may be unable to move until it can be towed clear by an undamaged train. Also, Fleet teams may need to attend to make sure the train is safe to move. Staff will be working with Network Rail colleagues to deal with this issue.
Check before you travel:
You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.
âââââââCompensation:
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.