Gatwick Sinkholes Cause Travel Chaos, All London Trains Cancelled

Sinkholes near a railway bridge in Purley have cancelled all trains between Gatwick and London, leaving hundreds of holidaymakers stranded and scrambling for alternatives.

Brit Brief 14/06/2026 15:22

Gatwick Sinkholes Cause Travel Chaos, All London Trains Cancelled — Gatwick Sinkholes: All London Trains Cancelled, Chaos Ensues

Desperate holidaymakers have been queuing outside Gatwick Airport for hours after sinkholes near a railway bridge forced the cancellation of all trains to London. Network Rail engineers discovered a number of sinkholes close to a bridge during planned engineering work outside Purley. Citing passenger safety, all lines between Purley and East Croydon were closed, leaving travellers scrambling for alternative transport to and from the major airport.

Travel Chaos and High Costs

Some passengers reported taxi fares as high as £250 to reach East Croydon, while others waited hours for replacement buses. One traveller described the scene as an 'absolute shambles', with people queuing for over two hours for Network Rail replacement coaches into London. Tempers flared among the crowds, and the situation was described as frightening.

Service Disruption Expected Until Monday

The operator stated that the line is expected to be out of action until at least Monday morning and urged people not to travel. A Network Rail spokesperson said: 'We're sorry to passengers who have been impacted by this and we're working to safely open the railway as quickly as possible.'

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Southern Railway confirmed no services between Purley and East Croydon and also advised customers not to travel. The train operator warned that limited alternative routes would be extremely busy, with delays of 90 minutes or more.

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Southern Rail's Latest Travel Advice

Southern services between London Bridge and Caterham are running as normal but may see some delays.
Southern services from London Victoria towards Bognor Regis / Portsmouth Harbour will divert via Dorking (where possible) and will not run between Clapham Junction and Horsham.
Southern services between London Victoria towards Ore / Littlehampton will only run as far as Haywards Heath, so services between London Victoria and Haywards Heath are cancelled.
Southern services between London Victoria and East Grinstead are running as normal but may see some delays.
There is no service between Purley and Tattenham Corner.