Lines have reopened following a trespasser on the railway between Sutton (London) and Balham / Streatham.

Trains running between these stations may be cancelled, revised or delayed by up to 20 minutes.

Disruption is expected until 21:30.

Customer advice:

Trains can now begin to run through the Mitcham area as usual.

We're working to return to the scheduled timetable, but please continue to check journey planners and station information boards before you travel. Trains currently in the area will still be disrupted, and your journey may still take up to 15 minutes longer than usual.

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 our Southern app to find up-to-date travel information.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

A trespass incident was reported in the Mitcham area.

In this case, we had to stop trains entirely, as it was not safe to run services past the person. Emergency services and Network Rail responders have attended, and the person has been safely removed from the railway.

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.

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.