An object is caught on the overhead electric wires near Welwyn North and this is causing disruption to trains between Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage. Trains may be delayed or cancelled until approximately 23:00.

Advice for Great Northern and Thameslink customers:

You are advised to continue using your normal route at the moment, but your journey will be delayed if you are travelling from London towards Stevenage, Hitchin, Royston, Cambridge, Ely, Kings Lynn or Peterborough.

This is because services are running more slowly than usual when heading from Welwyn Garden City towards Stevenage.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

A number of balloons are caught in the overhead wires in the Welwyn North area. The affected wires are above the line used by northbound trains. Services must proceed at a much-reduced speed of 20mph on this line.

This is causing congestion, as there is only one northbound line at this location (as opposed to two lines through most of the rest of the area).

Network Rail response staff are working to remove the balloons, but because of the live electricity which still needs to be conducted by the wires, specialist procedures need to be used.

Check before you travel:
You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner

Twitter:
If you would like to follow this incident on Twitter, please use #WelwynNorth

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.

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