Rail passengers across the South East have faced severe disruption today after two separate incidents brought services to a standstill on some of the region’s busiest routes.
Early this morning, a person was struck by a train near Luton, forcing the closure of the Thameslink line and causing widespread disruption to northbound services.
Just before 11am, a second incident occurred at Three Bridges station, where another person was hit by a train. This brought all services to a halt between Haywards Heath and Gatwick Airport.
With no trains able to arrive or depart, Gatwick Airport station was closed and evacuated due to overcrowding, the airport confirmed.
A spokesperson said: “Gatwick Airport train station has been evacuated due to overcrowding.”
The closures left thousands of travellers stranded, with many struggling to reach flights or collect arriving passengers. The knock-on effect also caused heavy congestion on the M23 spur road leading to the airport.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates Southern and Thameslink services, said it is working to recover the timetable. While lines are expected to reopen shortly, Three Bridges station will remain closed for the rest of the day.
Rail operators have warned that displaced trains and crew shortages mean delays and cancellations will continue throughout the day across both Southern and Thameslink services.
Add your first comment to this post