Multiple signal failures have caused severe disruption on trains between London and Luton, National Rail has confirmed. Operator East Midlands Railway (EMR) said the issue prevented it from running services in and out of St Pancras, while a Thameslink train calling at London Luton Airport was delayed by nearly two hours.
National Rail warned that cancellations and severe delays were expected until the end of Wednesday. EMR later said there would be at least 'minor disruption' until 10:00 GMT on Thursday due to further work on the signalling system overnight. The fault is related to work over Christmas to install a new control system for signals on the line.
Route director Gary Walsh apologised for the disruption, stating: 'I am very sorry that our engineering work is affecting passengers today. There is a fault with part of the signalling control system which means we need to reduce the number of trains which are able to run.'
Thameslink advised passengers not to attempt travel between Bedford and London Bridge until further notice, as the earlier disruption caused by multiple signal failures had reoccurred. Passengers were advised to delay travel until later.
National Rail posted advice and alternative travel options on its website, noting that trains may be cancelled or delayed by up to 60 minutes due to the fault between St Albans and London St Pancras International. Meanwhile, flooding caused by Storm Gerrit has also disrupted train services in Scotland and the North of England, with all lines between Carlisle and Lockerbie blocked on Wednesday morning.
