There is major disruption on rail lines out of King’s Cross after a person was hit by a train.
A person was hit by a train between Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City, meaning all lines between Peterborough and Royston and London were closed earlier.
Police were called to Stevenage station at 11.32am following reports of a casualty on the tracks.
The person was pronounced dead at the scene and the incident is not being treated as suspicious.
Lines have since reopened but trains may still be delayed by up to 30 minutes, National Rail has warned. Disruption is expected to last for the rest of the day.
Services to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Newcastle were among those affected.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
Scroll down for the latest updates.
Delays expected until the end of the day
19:11 , Alastair Lockhart
Delays of up to 30 minutes on trains leaving King’s Cross station are expected to continue until the end of the day.
National Rail previously said the disruption would last until 9.30pm, but this has now been extended.
Disruption to continue until 9.30pm
18:46 , Alastair Lockhart
Emergency services have completed their work following the fatality on the railway lines earlier today, National Rail has said.
However, disruption is expected to continue until 9.30pm.
Lines between London and Peterborough and Royston have reopened but services may be delayed by up to half an hour.
A spokesperson for National Rail said: “The emergency services have completed their work following an earlier incident where a person was hit by a train.
“This has allowed all lines between Peterborough/Royston and London to reopen. Whilst service recovers, trains may still be severely delayed by up to 30 minutes, revised or cancelled.
“Disruption is expected until 21:30.”
Disruption between Paddington and Heathrow ends
18:08 , Alastair Lockhart
Disruption caused by a signalling issue between Paddington and Heathrow/Reading has now ended, National Rail has said.
✅CLEARED #Hanwell - Disruption caused by a fault with the signalling system between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport / Reading has now ended.
— National Rail (@nationalrailenq) May 20, 2026
Disruption through rush hour
17:28 , Matt Watts
Major disruption is expected to continue on trains to and from King’s Cross until at least 7pm, National Rail has said.
All lines between Peterborough and Royston and London have reopened after a person was hit by a train.
Emergency services have completed their work at the scene.
But while services recover, trains may still be severely delayed by up to 60 minutes, revised or cancelled.
Disruption is expected until at least 7pm.
Disruption likely through rush hour
15:31 , Tom Place
National Rail are still advising that the major disruption at King’s Cross is expected until around 4.30pm.
However, with only a handful of services being listed on the departure boards, it is expected that issues will continue through rush hour.
BTP confirm casualty on tracks
15:22 , Tom Place
The British Transport Police (BTP) have confirmed that a person has died after being hit by a train earlier today.
A BTP spokesperson told The Standard: “Officers were called to Stevenage railway station at 11.32am today (20 May) following reports of a casualty on the tracks.
“Paramedics also attended, however sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The incident is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”
'Total bedlam' as thousands unable to catch trains out of King’s Cross
15:09 , Tom Place
Ross Lydall has told The Standard of “total bedlam” at King’s Cross this afternoon.
He said: “Total bedlam here. A couple of trains are back on the departures board. LNER are saying that services will be delayed until 3pm but I think that may be optimistic.
“Trains are out of place everywhere. There is also apparently chaos at Euston, as King’s Cross tickets are being accepted on Avanti West Coast.
“King’s Cross station staff are trying to provide advice and do their best to help. This is all beyond their control and appears to be a tragic situation.
“But thousands of people are unable to catch a long-distance train out of King’s Cross this afternoon - and thousands more may be stuck on trains to London or have been forced to abandon their journeys.”
Elizabeth line update
14:50 , Tom Place
A fault with the signalling system at Hanwell means that trains must run at a reduced speed on some lines.
Elizabeth line trains between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport & Slough may be cancelled or significantly delayed.
This disruption is expected until around 5pm.
Lines now reopening
14:46 , Tom Place
The emergency services have now completed their work following an earlier incident between Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City.
Services will now begin to recover, with lines between Peterborough & Royston and London reopening.
If you've been affected by what has happened on the rail network today, there is always someone to talk to.
You can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 from any phone for a confidential chat.
Chaos at King’s Cross
14:41 , Tom Place
Chaos at King’s Cross station. Sadly someone has been hit by a train. Nothing in or out for the last two hours. pic.twitter.com/xX09syo8eH
— Ross Lydall (@RossLydall) May 20, 2026
Many routes affected
14:38 , Tom Place
A number of routes are affected by the line closures this afternoon, following the incident between Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City.
These include:
- Grand Central between Sunderland / Bradford Interchange and London Kings Cross
- Great Northern between Stevenage and Moorgate, and also between Kings Lynn / Ely / Cambridge / Letchworth Garden City and London Kings Cross
- Hull Trains between Hull and London Kings Cross
- LNER between Inverness / Aberdeen / Edinburgh / Newcastle / York / Harrogate / Bradford Forster Square / Leeds / Lincoln and London Kings Cross
- Lumo between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross
- Thameslink between Cambridge and Brighton, and also between Peterborough and Horsham
Commuters are being urged to delay their travel or seek other routes, with many services saying tickets can be used on reasonable alternate routes.
Chaos at King's Cross
14:31 , Tom Place
A person has been hit by a train between Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City, causing major disruption at King’s Cross this afternoon.
Emergency services are carrying out work at the scene of the incident, resulting in all lines between Peterborough & Royston and London being closed.
This is affecting services on a number of networks, including Grand Central, Great Northern, LNER, Lumo and Thameslink.
According to former Standard Transport Editor Ross Lydall at the scene, no trains have come in or out for the last two hours.
Major disruption is expected through the rest of the afternoon and into the evening rush hour.
Good afternoon
14:28 , Tom Place
Welcome to our live travel coverage - we will bring you all the latest updates regarding the chaos at King’s Cross station this afternoon.
