There is a points failure between Rye and Ashford International. This means that trains running from Eastbourne towards Ashford International are unable to run beyond Rye currently.
Trains will be cancelled, or revised to operate between Eastbourne and Rye only.
This issue is expected to continue to impact services until 14:00.
Customer advice:
No trains can run between Rye and Ashford International until further notice. If you are travelling now you will need to use an alternative route, and your journey will take up to 30 minutes longer than usual.
Trains which would usually run between Eastbourne and Ashford International will instead run between Eastbourne and Rye.
You can use your ticket to travel at no extra cost on:
- Alternative Southern services on any reasonable route towards your destination
- Southeastern services between Ashford International / Hastings and Tonbridge / London
- Stagecoach bus routes between Rye and Ashford International including:
- 11, 11A and 11B between Ashford International and Ham Street
- 101, 100 between Rye and Hastings
To help you plan your journey, you can find alternative route maps on the website here.
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 the Southern app to find up-to-date travel information.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
A points failure has been reported, and this is preventing trains from travelling on this route.
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 like this one, the route is blocked entirely.
Network Rail have sent their specialist Signalling & Telecoms teams to site as a priority, and they will set up a safe method of working on the track. As soon as it's safe to go on the line, they will diagnose the fault and find any quick solutions to resolve it.
Whilst this is being done, progress will be monitored 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.