Train services to and from London King's Cross are facing major disruption on Sunday after damage to overhead lines blocked key lines. The damage, sustained between Peterborough and Stevenage, has led to several cancellations, while other services are experiencing delays of more than an hour.
The disruption is expected to last until the end of the day and comes amid ongoing schedule impacts caused by two train derailments within 24 hours this week.
Derailment near Lewes
The first incident occurred on Thursday, when two people were seriously injured after a train derailed near Lewes in East Sussex. British Transport Police (BTP) declared a major incident as three carriages derailed on their side, trapping passengers on board the Southern train. The train, travelling from London Victoria to Eastbourne with around 150 people on board, was safely evacuated.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is investigating the cause, and Network Rail engineers are assessing damage and identifying work needed before trains can safely run again. As a result, trains remain unable to run between Lewes and Haywards Heath, with all services cancelled until further notice.
Second derailment near Wickford
On Friday afternoon, a second derailment occurred near Wickford in Essex. A Greater Anglia train, running from Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street, came off the tracks at 2.12pm with around 45 passengers on board. BTP confirmed no reported injuries.
Following this incident, lines remain closed, and trains on the route between London Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria are cancelled in full or revised to run on only part of their normal route until further notice. The Southminster branch line is also affected, with services unable to run between Wickford and Southminster, and limited rail replacement buses operating between these stations.
Routes affected on Sunday
Routes affected by the disruption on Sunday include Grand Central between Sunderland / Bradford Interchange / Halifax and London Kings Cross, Great Northern between Peterborough and London Kings Cross, Hull Trains between Beverley / Hull and London Kings Cross, LNER between Aberdeen / Edinburgh / Newcastle / York / Harrogate / Skipton / Bradford Forster Square / Leeds / Lincoln and London Kings Cross, Lumo between Glasgow Queen Street / Edinburgh / Newcastle and London Kings Cross, and Thameslink between Peterborough and London Kings Cross.
