Lines have now reopened following a trespass incident between Chatham and Gillingham. While service recovers, trains running between these stations may still be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.
Disruption is expected until 18:30.
Southeastern Customer Advice
What's happened?
A trespasser was reported on the line between Gillingham and Chatham. The electric current was switched off to allow police to remove the trespasser, and is now back on. The line has reopened.
How does this affect my journey?
Trains have resumed between Gillignham and Chatham. There are delays and alterations as Southeastern work to return services to normal.
Routes affected:
- Victoria - Gillingham
- Victoria - Dover Priory / Ramsgate
- St Pancras - Faversham / Ramsgate via Faverham
- Cannon Street - Dover Priory
Alternative Routes:
For details of alternative routes that may be available to complete your journey, please refer to âAlternative routes during disruptionâ maps which can be found here
Thameslink Customer Advice
Earlier this afternoon, a trespasser was obstructing the railway between Chatham and Gillingham. Some Thameslink and Southeastern services have been delayed by around 15-45 minutes.
The railway is now open once again. You can still use your normal route, but please check your service before you go to the station.
A few late-running trains may be revised. This means they may not stop at all of the usual stations, or they may terminate part of the way along their usual routes.
As a result, you may need to change trains to get to your destination.
Planning your journey:
Live departure boards can be found here.
You can view a live map of the network here.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
A trespass incident was reported, and staff had to stop trains entirely, as it was not safe to run services past the person. Emergency services and Network Rail responders have now removed them.
Trespassing on the railway is very dangerous. Trains run all day, every day - whether passenger trains, freight trains or specialist engineering work machines. It's not possible to be sure that you can hear when a train is coming, and in many cases, you won't see a train until it is very close to you.
In many areas, trains are powered by an electric third rail, which carries a dangerous electric current. There are also other electrical systems and cables, slippery surfaces, steep drops and other hazards.
Network Rail manage the railway infrastructure, and they're working hard to educate everyone about these dangers and prevent people from accessing the track. You can see their latest safety campaigns here.
As well as the dangers, trespassing on the railway is also illegal, and obstructing the railway can carry severe penalties.
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.