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Notes to Editors

Damage to the overhead electric wires between Harpenden and Bedford are causing disruption to journeys between London St Pancras International and Bedford.

As a result of this, trains may be cancelled or delayed.

Thameslink Customer Advice:
Network Rail are working to get all four lines reopened and are currently expecting this to be completed mid-afternoon.

A reduced service will continue to run between Bedford and London through the day. Thameslink also have other on-going incidents affecting their trains which may lead to cancellations. Particularly, a security incident which closed East Croydon station earlier today.
At this time Thameslink expect there will still be some cancellations during the evening peak today, journey planners will be updated to reflect this.

If you're travelling now:

Your journey may be delayed by up to an hour. Please check the journey planners before you travel and leave extra time if you are travelling to either Luton Airport Parkway or Gatwick Airport to connect with a flight.

Thameslink travel advice:

Bedford to London

• There will be a reduced service running on the available lines (2 of 4 are open). You should check journey planners for trains that are running, and due to limited platform availability trains will leave from different platforms so check screens at the station before boarding. Trains that are running will be very busy so you might also wish to travel on an alternative route.
• Passengers travelling from Luton and St Albans, please take the first available train to London as services from Bedford will be busier than usual.

Gatwick to London via Redhill

• There will be a reduced service and you will need to check for trains that are running and use alternative services. You might need to travel to London Victoria and use London Underground to complete your journey.

Thameslink expect that most services that run to / from Sutton, Brighton, Peterborough, Horsham and Cambridge will be able to run, however some cancellations on these routes may occur.

To assist with alternative travel, you can find an alternative route map here.

Ticket Acceptance – North of London

Thameslink and Great Northern services running from Peterborough towards London.

Avanti West Coast between Milton Keynes Central and London Euston.

London Northwestern Railway services between Bedford and Bletchley and St Albans Abbey to Watford Junction (for services to London Euston) Please note they are only hourly services in normal hours.

Arriva Buses

• 321 between Luton and St Albans via Harpenden and onto Watford Junction

Arriva: The Shires / Greenline

• 724 between Hertford North and St Albans (for Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and also Watford Junction)
• 100 / 101 between Stevenage and Luton
• 301 / 302 between Hatfield and St Albans
• 755 / 757 between Luton Station, Luton Airport and London Victoria (Buckingham Place Road

Uno

• 601 between Welwyn Garden City and Radlett (for Hatfield and St Albans City)
• 602 between Hatfield, St Albans and Radlett
• 653 between Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and St Albans City
• 610/612 Between Luton, Harpenden, Hatfield (town centre), Welham Green, Brookmans Park and Potters Bar

Ticket Acceptance – Across London

London Underground – On all routes across London to allow travel between London terminals.

London Buses – On all journeys across London.

Ticket Acceptance – South of London

Southern – On all routes between Brighton / East Grinstead / Littlehampton and London as well as around South London.

Gatwick Express - For travel from Brighton where there are a number of cancellations.

South Western Railway – from Wimbledon to Central London.

Southeastern - between Sevenoaks, Rainham and London.

East Midlands Railway Customer Advice:

Trains through the affected area may be delayed by up to 20 minutes.

Alternative routes are available on the following:

Sheffield

You may travel to Doncaster where you should change for a train to London Kings Cross. It is likely to take between 2 and 2.5 hours to complete this journey.

Derby / Chesterfield

You may travel to Birmingham New Street where you should change for a train to London Euston. It is likely to take between 2.5 and 3 hours to complete this journey.

Loughborough

You may travel on one of the Regional services to Leicester where you should change for a train to London St Pancras International. It is likely your journey will be extended by 30 minutes.

Long Eaton

You may travel to either Derby or Nottingham where you should change for a service to London St Pancras International. It is likely your journey will be extended by 30 minutes.

Corby

Buses will replace trains between Kettering and Corby until further notice. Buses will depart at the same time that trains were timetabled to depart. Connections can be made at Kettering for our Intercity services to the north and south.