Rush-hour delays are sweeping through London as damage to overhead lines between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes impacts services in and out of Euston.
Disruption at Euston is expected until 9pm on Thursday evening with tickets being accepted on alternative routes.
Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway and Southern routes are all affected.
Trains out of Waterloo are severely delayed due to an earlier radio fault on Thursday morning, which halted multiple operators across south England.
The fault has been resolved but National Rail is warning that services may be delayed as services get back to usual.
Operators have warned that journeys may take an additional 30 minutes and passengers should check before travelling.
South Western Railway are telling some passengers whose journeys has been heavily disrupted that they can book their own taxi and claim the cost back through the South Western Railway website.
This applies to travel between any stations served by South Western Railway between Woking and Portsmouth Harbour on our Portsmouth Direct lines.
Follow the latest updates below
Fire alert delaying multiple lines
21:41 , Tom PlaceThere is now no service on the District line between Barking and Upminster, and severe delays between Earl's Court and Barking while TfL respond to a fire alert at Upney.
The same alert is also causing minor delays between Liverpool Street and Barking on the Hammersmith & City line, and anticlockwise on the Circle line.
District line update
21:06 , Tom PlaceThere are now severe delays on the District line between Barking and Upminster due to a fire alert at Upney.
There are also minor delays between Earl's Court and Barking eastbound only, and a good service on the rest of the line.
South Western to pay for customers' taxis
20:16 , Tom PlaceSouth Western Railway are telling some passengers whose journeys has been heavily disrupted that they can book their own taxi and claim the cost back through the South Western Railway website.
This applies to travel between any stations served by South Western Railway between Woking and Portsmouth Harbour on Portsmouth Direct lines.
Hi, sorry for the late response, because your journey has been heavily disrupted, you can book your own taxi and claim the cost back through the South Western Railway website. This applies to travel between any stations served by South Western Railway between Woking and…
— SWR Help (@SW_Help) May 7, 2026
Jubilee line update
19:49 , Tom PlaceThere are now only minor delays on the Jubilee line.
Tube update
19:25 , Tom PlaceThere are still severe delays on the Jubilee line due to the earlier track fault at Kilburn.
There are also minor delays between White City and Ealing Broadway & West Ruislip, and between Leytonstone and Epping & Hainault via Newbury Park on the Central line, due to train cancellations.
There is currently a good service on the rest of the London Underground network.
Avoid Waterloo station, commuters told
18:33 , Alastair LockhartCommuters should avoid Waterloo station if possible to avoid the severe disruption there.
Pictures show large crowds gathered in the station as most national rail trains are delayed, as is the Jubilee line.
Transport for London said: “Please avoid Waterloo station this evening if you can - the station is likely to be extremely busy due to disruption on National Rail and the Jubilee line.”
Severe delays on the Jubilee line
18:31 , Alastair LockhartThere are also severe delays on the Jubilee line this evening due to an earlier track fault at Kilburn.
Tickets are being accepted on London Buses, London Overground, the Elizabeth line, Thameslink, Southeastern and the DLR.
There is a good service on the rest of the London Underground network.
Queues at Waterloo station
18:09 , Alastair LockhartThere are large queues at Waterloo station as commuters wait to hear news on when their service will run.
Most trains from the station look to be delayed or cancelled this evening amid the disruption.
Trains running through Clapham Junction and Barnes may be delayed by up to 30 minutes.
Southwestern Rail warns disruption will continue late into the evening
18:05 , Alastair LockhartDisruption on Southwestern Rail will continue late into the evening due to a signal problem at Wandsworth Town unrelated to the earlier issues on the network.
The railway apologised to customers and warned them to expect further delays.
— SWR Help (@SW_Help) May 7, 2026
Passengers report problems at Waterloo
17:41 , Niva YadavTrains at Waterloo have been slow to resume services. BBC News presenter Victoria Hollins reported on X that she has waited 50 minutes for her train to depart from Waterloo. Southern Railways have confirmed the service is cancelled.
Hello @SW_Help We’ve been sitting on a stationary train at platform 10 at Waterloo for 50 minutes. The guard says he can’t find the driver. Don’t suppose you have any updates do you? Thanks
— victoria hollins (@vichollins) May 7, 2026
In an earlier post, she claimed there had been no communication with passengers.
Trains in and out of Euston disrupted
17:27 , Niva YadavThe earlier reported incident between Milton Keynes and Watford Junction is now causing chaos at Euston.
Several lines are blocked and disruption is expected until 9pm.
Jubilee line subject to severe delays
17:06 , Niva YadavIn an unrelated incident, the Jubilee line is subject to severe delays due to a track fault at Kilburn.
The service is suspended between West Hampstead and Wembley Park.
Limited services on West Sussex-bound routes
16:41 , Niva YadavAs rush hour nears, it’s worth knowing which stations are worst affected by this morning’s radio fault.
Trainline is reporting a limited service at these stations while Southern services recover:
- Fishbourne
- Bosham
- Nutbourne
- Southbourne
- Emsworth
- Warblington
If you are heading south of the capital this evening, check before you travel and consider possible coach routes.
No claim back on taxis
16:37 , Niva YadavThose who take taxis will not be reimbursed for their journeys, said South Western Railway on X.
Hi, I am sorry for the disruption. There is no taxi claim back in place so if you was to book a taxi you cannot claim a refund. ^DM
— SWR Help (@SW_Help) May 7, 2026
Tickets are still being accepted on all reasonable routes.
Journeys to take 30 minutes longer, says National Rail
16:17 , Niva YadavNational Rail said in an online post that journeys may take an additional 30 minutes.
Passengers are advised to listen to announcement and check screens before travelling. Some passengers may need to change train or use a different route.
Faulty display boards at train stations
15:46 , Niva YadavFollowing on from this morning’s events, display boards at train stations are not accurately showing disruption.
According to the Telegraph, some stations are still displaying good services across all lines despite delays and cancellations.
Luckily, the latest updates will be available here on The Standard’s live travel blog.
Incident between Milton Keynes and Watford Junction
15:44 , Niva YadavDamage to overhead electric wires between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes are causing disruption.
Trains running through these stations may be delayed or cancelled, says Avanti West Coast.
This is an unrelated incident to the radio fault this morning
Here's a recap of today's train chaos
14:56 , Niva YadavRadio fault: A fault with the radio system between the driver and the signaller was reported by National Rail this morning
Delays: Trains operated by seven train companies were caught up in the chaos, with many services disrupted and several routes cancelled.
Train operators: CrossCounty, Gatwick Express, Great Western Railway, London Overground, Southern, South Western Railway, and Thameslink were all affected
Problem resolved: The problem was resolved, but disruption has persisted into the afternoon.
What now?: If you’ve been impacted, you might be able to claim a refund. You can see how in our previous posts.
Still travelling?: Expect delays of up to 90 minutes if you plan on continuing your journey.
What happens when there is a radio fault?
14:30 , Niva YadavRadio systems, such as the GSM-R system, allow drivers and signallers to communicate between stations.
The system has been far more reliable than previous analogue systems, but still not except from occasional hiccups.
When the system fails, train drivers can use telephones to communicate with signallers.
However, this causes delays, disruption, and in some cases, signallers impose speed limits on trains.
Use your ticket tomorrow, says South Western
14:09 , Niva YadavSouth Western Railway has said tickets dated for today will be accepted tomorrow if you have been unable to use them.
This is due to the disruption caused by a radio fault earlier today.
Trains to Gatwick still facing cancellations
13:33 , Niva YadavTrains to Gatwick are still facing cancellations due to the earlier radio fault.
The 13:35 to Portsmouth Harbour/Bognor Regis via Horsham and 13:46 to Littlehampton via Hove & Worthing are both cancelled.
Both are operated by Southern Railway.
Delays of up to 20 minutes at Haywards Heath
12:44 , Niva YadavAs the rest of the network scrambles to get back on track, a separate fault is wreaking havoc at Haywards Heath in West Sussex.
The incident appears to have cleared, according to National Rail. But passengers travelling to West Sussex have been warned of delays of up to 20 minutes.
Commuters voice frustration on social media
12:17 , Niva YadavCommuters travelling in and out of London have voiced their frustration on social media.
Yet more train issues. My 2nd time running into this across the national rail network in a week. This is starting to get ridiculous now.. https://t.co/3lZHNQr3mo
— Tej (@TejasSandhu) May 7, 2026
National Rail says work is ongoing to reinstate services
11:57 , Niva YadavNational Rail has said that work to reinstate services following the radio fault earlier this morning.
The group said the fault has been “rectified” and work is ongoing so that services resume “as quickly as possible.”
Check before you travel
11:39 , Niva YadavOperators are urging passengers to check before you travel.
Great Western has a journey checker tool here and Southern Railway has a live map which you can access here.
As always, TfL provides live status updates on the London Overground while Gatwick Express has a live departure board on its site.
Have you been impacted by the delay?
11:34 , Niva YadavIf you’ve been impacted by the delay, let us know.
Get in touch at niva.yadav@standarddigital.co.uk
What is a radio fault?
11:16 , Niva YadavA properly functioning radio system is critical for allowing trains to travel between stations safely. When things go wrong, drivers are unable to communicate with signallers, stations, and emergency services.
Radio faults can be caused by equipment failure, software glitches, power supply problems, and faults with trackside infrastructure.
The last nationwide fault in 2024 was due to faulty GSM-R radio systems.
The GSM-R system was installed across the rail network between 2007 and 2014 and cost around £1.86 billion.
It’s a relatively new piece of technology and meant that analogue radios, which were unreliable in tunnels and deep cuttings, could be discontinued.
How to claim a refund
11:05 , Niva YadavYou’ll be able to claim a refund if your journey was impacted via the train operator. You can find your train operator via the National Rail website here.
If you arrive late to your final destination, you may also be eligible for compensation. This will depend on the type of ticket you have, who the operator was, and the length of your delay.
Compensation needs to be requested directly from the train company.
Network Rail says services “returning to normal” but warn of 90 minute delays
10:59 , Niva YadavNetwork Rail is warning of delays of up to 90 minutes for the rest of the day as services begin to get back on their feet.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Due to issues with radio communications, train services in the South West and South have been subject to some delays this morning.
“Staff have worked to resolve the fault, and train services are now returning to normal. We apologise to passengers for the disruption caused to their journeys this morning.”
Full list of affected operators
10:57 , Niva YadavThe fault has now been fixed, but delays are still expected across the rail network.
Here’s a reminder of the operators impacted:
- CrossCountry
- Gatwick Express
- Great Western Railway
- London Overground
- Southern
- South Western Railway
- Thameslink
Delays on lines to Brighton, Horsham, and Three Bridges, says Thameslink
10:56 , Niva YadavThameslink services to Brighton, Horsham, and Three Bridges are all expected to be delayed.
Passengers are advised to check before travelling.
Incident resolved, but expect delays
10:54 , Niva YadavThe radio fault has now been resolved according to National Rail.
However, disruption is still expected until the end of the day.
Southern Rail is still reporting delays of up to 90 minutes in and out of Victoria.
Southeastern services remain unaffected
10:50 , Niva YadavSoutheastern has confirmed its services are not affected in a post on X.
ℹ️ INFO: We would like to confirm that the ongoing fault with the radio system between the drivers and the signallers affecting the South of England are NOT affecting our services and there are no ongoing disruptions to our services.
— Southeastern (@Se_Railway) May 7, 2026
Problem has been resolved, but “major disruption” still expected - says operator
10:46 , Niva YadavSouthern Rail has said the problem has been resolved, but passengers should expect “major disruption” until the end of the day.
The operator said: "The fault with the radio system between the driver and the signaller that is affecting services on the South England network has now been resolved. Some services may still be delayed by up to 90 minutes or cancelled whilst service recovers.
"Major disruption is expected until the end of the day."
Disruption could last all day
10:44 , Niva YadavLondon TravelWatch is warning disruption could last all day
⚠️ 📻 A major fault has occurred with the radio system used by drivers and signallers to communicate with one another across the South of England and is expected to cause significant disruption until the end of the day #GTRDisruption #SouthEnglandDisruption #Waterloo pic.twitter.com/6fMIvEuvK7
— London TravelWatch (@LonTravelWatch) May 7, 2026
South Western Railways urges passengers to use coach routes
10:40 , Niva YadavSouth Western Railway is urging passengers to use coach services to travel today.
A full list of available coach routes and alternative transport for South Western services can be found here.
Can I claim a refund if my journey has been disrupted?
10:38 , Niva YadavIf you’ve been impacted by disruption, you will be able to claim a refund on your ticket.
You can find out how to contact the relevant train company via the National Rail website here.
Londoners can use tickets on Tube network
10:36 , Niva YadavTickets are being accepted across the London Underground as the rail network is hit with major disruption.
The following services are accepting tickets to London Waterloo:
- London Underground Piccadilly line between Hounslow West to Green Park London Underground
- Jubilee line between Green Park to London Waterloo London Underground
- District line from Wimbledon, Richmond, or East Putney to Embankment, then Bakerloo line or Northern line to reach London Waterloo
South Western Railway: No ETA for when services will resume as normal
10:30 , Niva YadavOperator South Western Railway has said it does not have an ETA for when services would resume as normal.
In a statement, the operator said: “Due to issues with communication systems at London Waterloo all lines are disrupted
“Whilst the issue has been fixed we are working towards returning the service to normal as soon as possible, however will mean significant delays and alterations will still be ongoing whilst this takes place.”
Passengers are being advised to check before they travel and allow extra time before setting off.
Delays expected across Gatwick Express services
10:25 , Niva YadavDelays are anticipated across Gatwick Express services to and from London Victoria.
The 10:29 service from London Victoria to Bognor Regis via Horsham has been cancelled, while the 11:05 service is subject to delays.
Passengers are being advised to check before travelling, with tickets being accepted on all alternative routes at no extra cost.
South Western Railway warning
10:21 , Michael HowieSouth Western Railway has warned services across its entire network “may be cancelled, delayed by up to 90 minutes or revised”.
It went on: “Our operations and engineering teams are working with signallers to find and fix the fault.
“We do not have an ETA (estimated time of arrival) yet for when signalling will be back to normal.”
The operator advised passengers to consider using buses “while the fault is being investigated”.
⚠️ Due to issues with the communication systems across the network all lines are disrupted.
— SWR Help (@SW_Help) May 7, 2026
Trains may be cancelled, delayed or revised because of this problem.
More information: https://t.co/imkvCCexC2
Trains chaos as radio system fault hits network
10:19 , Michael HowieTrain services across southern England are being disrupted by a fault with a radio system.
National Rail Enquiries said the issue relates to how train drivers and signallers communicate.
It warned passengers that services may be delayed by up to 45 minutes or cancelled, and “major disruption is expected until the end of the day”.
The affected operators are CrossCountry, Gatwick Express, Great Western Railway, London Overground, Southern, South Western Railway (SWR) and Thameslink.
The incident was reported shortly before 9am on Thursday.
Minor delays on the Jubilee line
09:33 , Megan HoweMinor delays are currently impacting the Jubilee line due to an earlier defective train at Westminster.
Bakerloo line is part-suspended due to a faulty train
09:05 , Megan HoweThere is currently no service on the Bakerloo line between Elephant & Castle and Lambeth North while engineers fix a faulty train at Elephant & Castle.
Passengers can expect severe delays on the rest of the line.
Tickets are being accepted on London buses, Thameslink and London Overground.
Piccadilly line issue cleared
08:59 , Megan HoweAn earlier part suspension on the Piccadilly line has been cleared and services are operating as normal.
Minor delays on the Bakerloo line
08:58 , Megan HoweNo service between Elephant & Castle and Lambeth North while engineers fix a faulty train at Elephant & Castle.
Minor delays on the rest of the line.
Tickets are being accepted on London buses and London Overground.
Piccadilly line is part suspended
08:18 , Megan HoweThere is currently no service running between Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and Heathrow Terminal 5 as TfL staff help a sick passenger on the train.
Good service is operating on the rest of the line.
