A shortage of train crew means that fewer trains are able to run. As a result, Thameslink services across the network may be cancelled or revised.
Disruption is expected to affect services from 23:30 tonight until 07:00 on March 25.
Customer advice:
A reduced Thameslink service will operate between 23:30 tonight (24 March) and 07:00 tomorrow morning (25 March).
This will mainly affect late-night, overnight, and early-morning services that run between Bedford, Gatwick Airport and Brighton.
Please check your journey now, and consider travelling earlier or later where you can. Journeys planners are up to date and show which services are cancelled.
If you are travelling to Gatwick Airport or Luton Airport for a flight, please ensure that you allow sufficient time for your journey. You may wish to make alternative travel arrangements.
You can use your ticket to travel at no extra cost on alternative Southern, Gatwick Express, or Great Northern services on any reasonable route towards your destination.
Replacement buses have been requested to run in both directions between:
- London St Pancras and Three Bridges
- London Blackfriars and Luton
- St Albans and Bedford
These replacement services are not yet confirmed. Once Thameslink know more, they will be able to provide further information on how your planned journey will be affected. Please note the capacity will be limited, and you may not be able to board the first available service.
If you are travelling to Gatwick Airport or Luton Airport for a flight, please ensure that you allow sufficient time for your journey. You may wish to make alternative travel arrangements.
Planning your journey:
You can check your journey using journey planners on the Thameslink website here, and you can also view a live map of the network here.
You can also see an alternative route guide here.
If you're travelling in the London area, you can plan journeys on alternative routes by using the Transport for London Journey Planner here. You can also use the Thameslink app to find up-to-date information.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
Thameslink know these cancellations and service changes are inconvenient, and are doing everything possible to run as many trains as possible. Unfortunately, due to the availability of train drivers today, and this means some trains will be cancelled, so we're letting you know as soon as possible and putting alternative arrangements in place, wherever we can.
At times, a combination of driver training, sickness, and annual leave, can sometimes take us to a position where we find it challenging to cover the service. We are continuously recruiting more drivers to help with this issue, but it will take time it takes around eighteen months to fully train a driver.
Check before you travel:
You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.
For helpful advice if you need to travel on a rail replacement service, including accessibility and bicycle information, please use our Rail Replacement Services page.
You can find the pick-up and set-down location of rail replacement services by checking station signage or by searching for your station on our Find a Station page.
Please be advised that replacement vehicles may be busier than usual, and you should allow extra time for your journey.
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.