A fault with the signalling system at Gillingham (Kent) means trains running through this station may be cancelled, revised or delayed by up to 20 minutes.

Disruption is expected until 21:00.

Thameslink Customer Advice:

You will be delayed travelling through Gillingham (Kent) from the London direction.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

Thameslink were first advised of this incident at 17:45 today.

A track circuit failure is disrupting trains which travel from London to Rainham.

This part of the network uses track circuits to detect the position of trains. These are electrical systems which 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 a track circuit 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. 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.

In some areas, the sections between signals can be several miles long, so this can result in delays building up. Even with shorter sections of track affected, there would still be a delay of at least a few minutes to each journey.

Track circuit faults can be caused by a number of different issues, including electronic faults or obstructions on the track. Network Rail manage the signalling system, including track circuits, and their staff will be investigating as quickly as possible.

Southeastern Customer Advice:

What's happened?

A fault with the signalling system has been reported at Gillingham. Drivers are having to stop at the last signal before the platform at Gillingham and contact the signaller in order to gain authority to proceed past the signal. This is currently causing delays of up to 10 minutes per train.

How does this affect my journey?

Faversham-bound services will be delayed at Gillingham, and may be revised or cancelled. Some services may be cancelled throughout.

The 17:41 and 18:41 Cannon Street - Dover Priory services via Medway have been cancelled.

What should I do?

You can use your ticket at no extra cost on London Underground services between London Cannon Street and London Victoria.

Please allow extra time for your journey, and check before you travel.

Alternative Routes:

For details of alternative routes that may be available to complete your journey, please refer to our Alternative routes during disruption maps which can be found here.

How can I stay up to date?

You can follow the Southeastern WhatsApp channel.

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.