Heavy rain may affect Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink services this afternoon

Large amounts of rainfall is expected to affect Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink services this afternoon, into this evening.

Predictions indicate that from around 13:30, the south of England will be affected, with the weather front moving north towards Anglia, reaching this area around 17:00.

While teams and Network Rail will take all precautions possible, it is likely that your journey this afternoon / evening will be affected, with instances of flash-flooding, thunderstorms and wind related disruption.

We advise you to check your journey before departure, and be ready to amend your travel plans, as the situation can change very quickly, so we will update you on any known incident areas here. Check back with us here.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

When the water level rises above the rails, trains have to reduce their speed to prevent damage to the train. If the track has a live conductor rail, flooding can cause a short circuit and cut power to the trains and track side equipment.

Heavy rain can also overwhelm the drainage systems, flooding tracks and slowing down trains in the vicinity, causing delays to your journey.

The rail industry responds to extreme weather conditions caused by flooding, and plans ahead to minimise disruption by:

• Building pumping stations in locations which are prone to flooding so that flood water can be quickly pumped away.

• Flood defence systems are deployed, including barriers with a membrane that seals to prevent water getting through, and inflatable barriers which are filled with flood water.

• Monitor the weather forecasts and deploy defence teams ready for any required action.

 

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.

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