Trains in southern England faced severe disruption on Wednesday after a fault in the radio network prevented communication between drivers and signallers. The problem, reported towards the end of the morning rush hour, particularly affected services out of London Waterloo, one of Britain's busiest stations.
The fault impacted the Wessex route, which connects London with the south and south-west. South Western Railway (SWR) was the most affected operator, with services across its entire network facing cancellations, delays of up to 90 minutes, or revisions. Other operators including Southern, CrossCountry, Gatwick Express, Great Western Railway, London Overground, and Thameslink also experienced disruptions.
Network Rail confirmed the fault was fixed by 11am, but warned that major disruption was expected until the end of the day. Passengers were advised to allow extra time for journeys and check before travelling. Many services were cancelled or delayed, with some routes such as Southern's Hayward Heath line running late or terminating at Gatwick until at least 1pm.
A Network Rail spokesperson apologised for the disruption, stating: 'Due to issues with radio communications, train services in the south-west and south have been subject to some delays this morning. Staff have worked to resolve the fault and train services are now returning to normal.'
Passengers were told they could use their tickets on alternative routes or operators at no additional cost. The incident caused significant inconvenience for commuters and travellers across the region.
