A shortage of available train crew is affecting some Thameslink routes across the network. As a result, services may be cancelled or revised until 07:00 on Friday 29 September.

Customer advice:

Some Thameslink routes are being affected by a shortage of train crew from now until 07.00 on Friday, 29 September.

Please see the advice below to find out whether your journey will be affected.

You can check departure boards here to see whether your train is running before you travel. We advise you to continue to keep an eye on any updates, as we may need to occasionally change the information about your service.

You can also see a live map of the network here. 

Services between Peterborough and Horsham:

A reduced service will run on this route until the end of the day, which may mean your journey takes up to 30 minutes longer than usual. Cancellations and service changes are shown on journey planners.

To help you with your journey, where possible, some Southern services will call additionally at Ifield, Faygate and Littlehaven. Thameslink tickets will be accepted on all Southern services between London and Horsham until the end of service.

METROBUS will also accept rail tickets between Gatwick Airport, Crawley and Horsham until the end of service on their network, but please be aware that direct journeys aren't always possible between each of our stations.

A small number of buses have been requested to depart Peterborough, where there are multiple cancellations in a row. If confirmed, these will be shown on journey planners. 

Services between St Albans City and Sutton / Wimbledon:

A reduced service will also run on this route, which means there will be a few times during the evening where you may need to leave up to 20-30 minutes longer than usual to get to your destination. At the moment, we expect it is quickest to wait for the next train towards your destination.

However, please continue to check back here for any advice about whether you may need to use another route.

Peak-time services to & from East Grinstead:

We expect a small number of cancellations and service changes on this route. You may need to leave up to 20 minutes longer than usual to use alternative Southern services. Thameslink tickets will be accepted on Southern services on this route, but these trains do tend to be very busy.

Overnight services between Three Bridges, London St Pancras International and Bedford:

Some of these trains will be cancelled, and others will only run for parts of their normal journeys.

To assist you, the following additional Gatwick Express services will run, and Thameslink tickets will be accepted on these trains:

• 01.41 Three Bridges to London Victoria, calling at Gatwick Airport and East Croydon
• 02.41 Three Bridges to London Victoria, calling at Gatwick Airport and East Croydon

 

There will be some overnight Thameslink trains which only run between London Blackfriars and Bedford, rather than starting from Three Bridges.

These trains are shown on journey planners. As these trains will not call at Horley or Purley, please speak to station staff or use the Help Points at the station for further advice about your options, should you need to travel to or from either station.

Replacement buses have been requested to cover further gaps in the train service. If confirmed, these will be shown on journey planners.

In addition, rail tickets are to be accepted at no extra cost on METROBUS services between Three Bridges, Gatwick Airport, Horley and Redhill. This will apply until 07.00. 

Can you tell me more about the incident?

Unfortunately, despite exploring all the options, there is not enough train crew for all the trains in the timetable until 07.00 tomorrow, but we're doing everything we can to update you on alternative solutions so you can get to your destination. Most trains will still run, and we'd like to thank you for your patience where they don't.

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 information, please use this page.

You can find the location of your replacement bus by checking station signs or by searching for your station on our station information pages.

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.