Lines have reopened following an earlier trespass incident between London Victoria and Battersea Park. Trains running between these stations may continue to be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised,
Disruption is expected until 18:00.
Customer advice:
Southern trains will have residual delays and alterations due to a trespasser in the London Victoria area earlier this afternoon.
Some services will have been diverted to start or terminate at London Bridge where possible. This was completed on an ad-hoc basis, so Southern recommend you check journey planners at the earliest opportunity to check whether your travel will be impacted.
Whilst lines are open again and trains can resume their scheduled route, there may still be alterations to some of our trains.
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.
This may mean your journey takes longer. However, it does allow Southern to get their trains and crews back to the right places for the rest of the day's timetable. At present, your journey may take an extra 20 minutes to complete, especially if you need to change trains or use alternative transport to reach your destination.
In the meantime, you can use your ticket at no extra cost on:
- Southern and Thameslink services on any reasonable route towards your destination
- South Western Railway services between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction
- London Underground services on any reasonable route
Can you tell me more about the incident?
A trespass incident was reported in the London Victoria area.
In this case, Southern needed to stop trains entirely, as it was not safe to run services past the person. Emergency services and Network Rail responders have attended and safely removed the person. The power has now been turned back on, and trains are on the move.
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.