A points failure at Stevenage means trains running through the station may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.
Disruption is expected until 17:00.
Great Northern and Thameslink Customer Advice
A points failure at Stevenage means that Great Northern and Thameslink trains towards London will experience delays in the area.
In addition to this, Great Northern stopping services that run between Cambridge/Letchworth Garden City and Kings Cross will run non-stop between Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City.
Check before travel today and allow some extra time for your journey - we'd advise an extra 10-20 minutes.
If your planned train is cancelled then you'll need to take a different train than planned, and you may need to change trains in order to complete your journey.
Tickets will be accepted on Great Northern and Thameslink services between Cambridge, Stevenage and London.
Planning your journey:
You can check train departures from your station here:
- Thameslink live departure boards
- Great Northern live departure boards
You can view live maps of the network herte:
- Great Northern live route map
You can see alternative route guides here:
- Thameslink alternative route guide
- Great Northern alternative route guide
If you're travelling in the London area, you can plan journeys on alternative routes by using the TfL Journey Planner here.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
A points failure has been reported in the Stevenage area, and this is preventing trains from using some of the London-bound lines through this area.
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 a number of 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 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, teams will be monitoring progress 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.