Media centre

Friday 11 Nov 2016

Rail services returning to normal as Luton signalling repair completes

Region & Route:

| Eastern

Train services are returning to normal for Thameslink passengers and a full service is in operation on East Midlands Trains this morning (Friday 11 November).  Engineers successfully tested and brought into service a new signalling control system after the old one was damaged beyond repair by a power surge.

Rob McIntosh, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “I want to thank passengers for their patience while we carried out this complex repair.  My team and I are genuinely sorry for the disruption they have faced this week and have worked around the clock to restore services as soon as quickly as possible.  
 
“The signalling equipment which was damaged beyond repair is an essential part of how we move trains safely so we needed to carry out methodical and meticulous testing overnight to make sure that it is working as it should.  I am pleased that this has gone as planned and that services will be able to return to normal.”

 

Jake Kelly, managing director for East Midlands Trains said:  "We know that many of our customers will have had very difficult journeys this week and we would like to thank them for their patience during a challenging few days.

 

"I'm pleased that we are able to return to our full and normal timetable today."

 

Owing to the level of disruption caused by this incident there  are still alterations to Thameslink services today. Thameslink aims to run a normal service between Bedford and Brighton, and between Sevenoaks and London,  However, there will be a reduced stopping service between Luton and London St Pancras, and between Sutton/Wimbledon and London Blackfriars as the service recovers.  Passengers should check www.nationalrail.co.uk or 03457 48 49 50 for the latest service information.

 

Thameslink passenger services director, Stuart Cheshire, said: "It's been a long and difficult three days for our Thameslink passengers and staff who will be relieved now to learn that Network Rail has repaired this major fault. 

 

"The effect on our service has been severe, especially north of London where we have had to cut back the number of trains to just a few an hour between Bedford and St Pancras, and also reduce the service to and from Sutton and Wimbledon.  I would like to thank people for their patience."

 

Anyone whose journey was delayed by 30 minutes or more can claim compensation from either Thameslink or East Midlands Trains websites. 

 

Notes to editors:

 

Pre-planned work by Network Rail to demolish two bridges in Nottinghamshire this weekend will go ahead as planned.  The work at Station Road bridge in Sutton Bonnington and Bowleys bridge in Normanton-on-Soar is part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan for the Midland Main Line. 

 

The work will affect East Midlands Trains services this weekend.  On Saturday 12 November East Midlands Trains services scheduled to depart London St Pancras International after 20:29 will terminate at Leicester and rail replacement buses will run to stations north of Leicester.   On Sunday 13 November there will be no direct train service between stations north of Leicester and London St Pancras International. The train service will be significantly reduced with buses replacing trains between Leicester and East Midlands Parkway and Nottingham.

 

The roads above the bridges have been closed since September to prepare for the upgrades and will remain so until the work is completed in March 2017.