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Chaos for rail travellers at Victoria station after signal failure Chaos for rail travellers at Victoria station after signal failure
(32 minutes later)
UK’s second busiest train station at a standstill, leaving thousands of passengers struggling to get homeUK’s second busiest train station at a standstill, leaving thousands of passengers struggling to get home
One of the country’s busiest train stations is “at a standstill”, leaving thousands of passengers struggling to get home. Three of London’s busiest train stations faced hours of delays and cancellations on Wednesday evening, leaving thousands of passengers struggling to get home.
Trains in and out of London Victoria are facing delays and cancellations until the end of the day, following a “major signal failure” near East Croydon. Trains in and out of Victoria and London Bridge were severely disrupted after a “major signal failure” near East Croydon.
Images posted on social media showed hundreds of passengers held on the station concourse, unable to catch Southern, Southeastern and Gatwick Express trains. Images posted on social media showed hundreds of passengers held on the station concourse at Victoria, unable to catch Southern, Southeastern and Gatwick Express trains.
Thameslink services out of London Bridge have also been affected by the problems, which are expected to last until the end of Wednesday. Thameslink services out of London Bridge were badly hit and there were chaotic scenes at St Pancras in the early evening as all southbound trains on the Thameslink connection were disrupted. Some passengers were directed to go Victoria only to find even worse travel chaos there.
One passenger, Rob Broomby, a TV producer, was stuck at Victoria and said it was the “worst transport chaos” he had experienced since the 1990s.
Victoria and London Bridge are Britain’s second and fourth busiest stations, carrying 75 million and 48 million passengers in 2017/18 respectively.Victoria and London Bridge are Britain’s second and fourth busiest stations, carrying 75 million and 48 million passengers in 2017/18 respectively.
There was also chaotic scenes in St Pancras in the early evening as all southbound trains on the Thameslink connection were disrupted. Some passengers were told to go Victoria only to find more travel chaos there. There were angry scenes at Victoria after a partition was pulled across the route to the Gatwick Express and Southern platforms. Passengers were prevented from heading towards those platforms as staff tried to filter through arriving commuters.
There were angry scenes in Victoria after a partition was pulled across the route to the Gatwick Express and Southern trains platforms. Passengers were prevented from heading towards those platforms as staff tried to filter through arriving commuters. There was a knock-on effect with disruption to trains running along the south coast from routes such as Eastbourne and Brighton.
There was a knock-on effect with disruption to trains running along the south coast from routes such as Eastbourne to Brighton. Peter Kyle, the Labour MP for Hove and Portslade, was caught up in the disruption at Victoria.
Peter Kyle, the Labour MP for Hove and Portslade, was caught up in the disruption at Victoria on Wednesday evening.
He described the central London hub as being “at a standstill” and apologised to those struggling to get home.He described the central London hub as being “at a standstill” and apologised to those struggling to get home.
Sam Pugh, who works for the disability charity Leonard Cheshire and said she had been helping to coordinate its campaign to improve access to public transport called Get On Board, said it was “a nightmare”. She said she was profoundly deaf but information was only being relayed by tannoy at Victoria. Sam Pugh, who works for the disability charity Leonard Cheshire and said she had been helping to coordinate its campaign to improve access to public transport called Get On Board, said it was “a nightmare”. She said she was profoundly deaf but information was only being relayed by the public address system at Victoria.
Network Rail apologised and advised people to find other routes if possible.Network Rail apologised and advised people to find other routes if possible.
PA Media contributed to this reportPA Media contributed to this report