A points failure at Littlehampton means that the line is disrupted. As a result, trains running to and from this station may be cancelled, delayed or revised.
Disruption is expected until 16:00.
Customer advice:
Fewer trains than usual can run to or from Littlehampton station, due to a points failure in the area.
If you are travelling now, your journey may take up to 20 minutes longer than usual, and you may need to change trains en route to reach your destination.
Please check journey planners and station information boards before you travel, and allow extra time to reach your destination.
Live departure boards can be found here and you can check the live map here to see if your journey has been affected.
You can also use the Southern app to find up-to-date travel information.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
A points failure has been reported at Littlehampton which is preventing trains from using some of the routes through the area. Trains can continue to run via platform 1 at Littlehampton, but there is no available route via platforms 2, 3, or 4.
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 several reasons. For example, there may be an obstruction in the moving parts, or the electronic control systems may have developed a fault.
There are various backup systems which allow signallers to try to "set" the points, and in some cases, the points may be available for trains in one of the directions they serve, but not another. However, with more severe failures, the line in question may be blocked entirely.
Network Rail will send their specialist Signalling & Telecoms teams to the 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, progress updates will be monitored 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.