Thousands of commuters across southern England faced transport chaos on Thursday morning after a major power supply failure brought key rail routes to a standstill during the busy rush hour period.
The critical incident occurred between East Croydon and London Victoria, one of the capital's busiest rail corridors, forcing Network Rail to implement emergency measures that severely impacted services across the Southern network.
Widespread Cancellations and Severe Delays
Passengers experienced significant disruption with multiple services cancelled or facing extended delays. The power issue, described as a "supply failure" by rail authorities, meant trains couldn't operate normally on affected lines.
Network Rail South East issued an urgent statement confirming: "We're dealing with a failure of the power supply between East Croydon and London Victoria. This means trains are unable to run on these lines."
Alternative Routes Overwhelmed
Commuters were advised to use alternative routes, including services to London Bridge, but these quickly became overwhelmed as passengers sought alternative ways to reach the capital. The knock-on effect created congestion across the wider rail network.
Many travellers took to social media to express frustration, with some reporting being stranded at stations or facing hour-long delays during what should have been their morning commute.
Recovery Efforts Underway
Engineering teams were deployed to site to investigate and repair the power supply failure. Network Rail assured passengers that updates would be provided as the situation developed, though no immediate timeline for full service restoration was given initially.
The disruption serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of London's rail infrastructure and the cascading effects that single points of failure can have on the wider transport network during peak travel times.
