Thousands of London commuters left stranded in the capital after huge rail disruption were offered free taxis to get home. South Western Railway (SWR) told passengers they could claim for journeys as far as Exeter, a distance of some 170 miles.
Waterloo Station Closed After Police Incident
Waterloo station became so crowded on Thursday evening, after a police incident between Woking and Brookwood, that station chiefs were forced to close it. Thousands of people were caught up in the rail chaos.
Passengers voiced their frustration on social media. One user, @GrahamT94492392, posted on X: "Been stuck on train for 4 hours, still at Waterloo. Need to get to Gillingham Dorset, how the hell do I do this." Another, @SuanneBraun, asked: "What do you recommend for someone who's had 2 trains cancelled and now been on the train at Waterloo without moving for 45 minutes while we wait for a driver?"
Free Taxis Offered for Long Journeys
One passenger was stuck at Waterloo from 4.30pm until the evening. They wrote on X: "Please can you tell me if the line is open yet. I've been at Waterloo since 4.30 with so much misinformation please tell me when any train via Basingstoke (as I'm going to Eastleigh) may actually leave thanks." A SWR assistant replied that the line "is still blocked".
By 8pm, the nationalised rail company was offering free taxis to people still stranded in the capital as trains were cancelled or severely delayed. SWR said: "Due to disruption between stations, our customers are authorised to book their own taxi to travel between London Waterloo and Woking / Guildford / Alton / Basingstoke / Salisbury / Southampton Central / Bournemouth / Exeter St Davids / Weymouth."
Claims Process and Reopening
SWR stressed that to make a claim people would need to provide full contact details, the time and date of the journey, the planned stations travelled to and from, a description of the series of events that took place, and copies of train tickets and taxi receipt. The company added: "Please note that claims must be submitted within 28 days of travel, and Smartcard customers should ensure they have correctly tapped in and tapped out where applicable."
In an update at 3.58am on Friday, National Rail said the lines had reopened. "Disruption following the police dealing with an incident between Woking and Brookwood has now ended," it said. Emergency services have been contacted for comment. Replacement buses were arranged, with services running from Woking at around 6.50pm on Thursday. Some buses were also laid on from Basingstoke and Southampton Central, but some replacement buses were delayed by local traffic.
Disruption was also reported at London Euston on Thursday evening, with pictures from the main concourse showing hundreds of passengers crowded together as they waited for updates on trains. It was unclear whether the overcrowding was linked to the disruption at London Waterloo or separate travel chaos caused by Storm Austen.
