Commuters faced significant travel disruption on Tuesday morning as faults and incidents impacted multiple transport routes across London and the surrounding areas.
Elizabeth Line Services Suspended Through Central London
A signalling fault brought central London services on the Elizabeth Line to a halt, suspending trains between Paddington and Abbey Wood until at least 12:30 pm.
Key stations, including Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street, were left inaccessible. To prevent overcrowding, Farringdon station was temporarily made exit-only for Elizabeth Line passengers.
Metropolitan Line Halted Near Watford
The Metropolitan Line service between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Watford was suspended due to a gas leak, adding to the disruption faced by commuters across the capital.
Delays on the Overground and Windrush Line
The London Overground, now known as the Windrush Line, experienced severe delays.
Transport for London attributed the disruption between Sydenham and West Croydon/Crystal Palace to an earlier customer incident, which caused significant knock-on effects during the morning rush hour.
Issues for Gatwick Airport Travellers
Travellers heading to Gatwick Airport also encountered delays due to defective track between the airport and Purley.
A speed restriction was imposed for safety reasons, leading to cancellations and delays of up to 10 minutes.
The disruption affected services on the Gatwick Express, Southern, and Thameslink lines. National Rail advised passengers to allow an extra 20 minutes for their journeys, with the issue expected to persist until 1 pm.
Burst Water Main Disrupts Victoria Station
In a separate incident, a burst water main near Victoria Station caused early-morning chaos.
At approximately 5 am, water was seen gushing several feet into the air on Victoria Street, forcing the westbound section of the road to close and eight bus routes to divert. Engineers managed to reopen the road partially by 8 am after fixing the issue.
Commuters Advised to Plan Ahead
Transport authorities have urged passengers to check for updates before travelling and allow extra time for their journeys as engineers work to resolve the issues.
With delays expected to continue through lunchtime, significant disruption is likely to impact thousands of commuters across the city.
