This week’s summer travel is off to a sticky start after disruption on the London Underground, Waterloo station and a crash on the M25.
Londoners should brace themselves for a sweltering commute across the TfL network as the predicted hottest day of the year gets underway – so don’t forget your water bottle.
At London Waterloo station, passengers face delays and cancellations set to last until 7pm. Severe delays continue to plague the entire Metropolitan line after a signal failure at Wembley Park – a costly problem for train passengers in the UK, new figures have revealed.
A handful of flights have been cancelled at Heathrow and Gatwick, while a crash is causing long tailbacks on the M25 in Surrey.
Live coverage wraps up
Noora Mykkanen
We are wrapping up our live travel coverage for today.
But tune back in tomorrow for rolling transport and travel updates.
Drivers slapped with Dart fine despite never being there
Noora Mykkanen
UK drivers have been left confused after receiving fines for using the Dartford Crossing despite some never travelling there.
Drivers said the Dart Charge ANPR system had mistakenly identified their vehicles, landing them with penalty notices.
Drivers across UK handed Dartford Crossing fines despite never travelling there
Man travels from Canada to Mexico on public transport
Noora Mykkanen
A Canadian man has gone on a trip of a lifetime through north and central America – by taking public buses and trains only.
William Hui, 40, travelled south from his home in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Tijuana in Mexico.
Setting off on June 24, the trip took him nine days, the BBC reports.
His only rules for the epic trip banned Greyhound buses or Amtrak trains, while walking between bus stops had to be kept to a minimum.
William had tried to do the journey in 2013, but there was no bus connecting Oregon and California then.
Now the engineer and transport enthusiast was able to complete the journey, often relying on cash and crossing the international US-Canada border and Mexican border by foot.
He told the broadcaster: ‘One thing that struck me on this trip is how important transit is to the communities it serves.’
‘At no point was I alone on the bus for extended periods of time.’
Drivers warned of heatwave damage
Noora Mykkanen
Hitting the road in a heatwave could end up being costly, experts have warned.
Drivers could end up dishing out hundreds of pounds in repair costs if their car is damaged in the heat, including windscreen or paint damage.
This costly heatwave mistake could land drivers a £400 bill
Disruption at London Waterloo expected until evening
Noora Mykkanen
National Rail has issued an update after trains to and from London Waterloo were hit by a points failure at Vauxhall.
While lines have reopened, trains between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction may still be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised.
The impact of the disruption is expected until 7pm as South Western Railway recovers to normal service.
Some service changes will be in place until further notice.
- Trains will no longer stop at Queenstown Road in either direction
- Trains from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside will no longer stop at Vauxhall
- London Waterloo to Reading services will run hourly
- London Waterloo to Weybridge via Windsor Lines will run hourly
Elizabeth line closure after incident
Noora Mykkanen
Part of the Elizabeth line has been suspended after an incident in east London.
There is no service between Whitechapel and Shenfield due to an emergency incident.
The rest of the line has minor delays, the TfL network status update says.
Trains, including Greater Anglia services, have been suspended between Stratford and Shenfield/Upminster.
Disruption is expected until 3pm.
— Greater Anglia (@greateranglia) August 12, 2024â Due to the emergency services dealing with an incident between Stratford and #Shenfield all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until further notice.
Congestion after crash on the M25 near Heathrow
Noora Mykkanen
A crash on the M25 near Heathrow Airport is causing heavy congestion on the busy motorway.
Footage shows traffic at a standstill at junction J13 outside Staines, Surrey, after the smash, with emergency services on the scene.
Two out of five lanes are closed, and traffic alerts show tailbacks to junction J12 (M3) near Thorpe Park.
Traffic is expected to return to normal by 2.30pm, National Highways said.
The emergency services have been contacted for a comment.
Trains lines to Deptford are blocked
Noora Mykkanen
Thameslink is the latest operator to get hit with disruption after another signalling fault between Deptford and Charlton.
The line towards Deptford is blocked, and Thameslink services between the stations will be diverted via Lewisham.
Journeys might take longer than usual, but no major cancellations have been listed. The disruption is expected until about 3pm.
Luton to Rainham services are forced to divert after London Bridge via Lewisham to Charlton.
The following stations will not be served in the direction of Charlton – Deptford, Greenwich, Maze Hill and Westcombe Park.
Disruption at London Waterloo
Noora Mykkanen
London Waterloo has been hit by issues just moments after the morning rush hour wrapped up.
Some lines towards Clapham Junction are blocked due to a points failure at Vauxhall.
Services between Waterloo and Clapham Junction could be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised, with disruption expected until 2pm.
— SWR Help (@SW_Help) August 12, 2024â±ï¸ We have now received an update and disruption to our services is now expected until 12:00.
As the investigations are ongoing this may change but we will update you if it does.
Southeastern and Thameslink trains delayed
Noora Mykkanen
Train services between Gravesend and London Victoria have been delayed after another faulty signal at Stone Crossing.
This means trains between Gravesend and Dartford may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised until about 10.30pm, but no cancellations are predicted.
Here are the disrupted routes.
- Southeastern between Gravesend and London Victoria
- Thameslink between Rainham and West Hampstead Thameslink, Luton, Bedford
What is the cost of signal failures to passengers?
Noora Mykkanen
If you’ve been delayed on the Tube or a train recently, it may have been because of a signal failure – a common announcement on board a halted train.
Repeated delays on a commute can be frustrating when you’re stuck in a train carriage at rush hour.
Now it has been revealed that passengers lost almost one million minutes since the 2018-2019 financial year.
The figures, provided by Network Rail in response to Liberal Democrats’ Freedom of Information request, show that there have been more than a thousand signal failures this financial year alone.
Passengers have wasted almost 40,000 minutes waiting, the figures show.
Last financial year, passengers faced nearly 190,000 minutes because of faulty signals – meaning a whopping 3,166 hours.
Wera Hobhouse MP, the Lib Dem transport spokesperson, said passengers have ‘put up with years of unacceptable delays and extortionate rail fares,’
Passengers have been left for ‘a service they cannot rely on,’ she said, adding that the figures reveal ‘the state of neglect that the Conservative party left our railways in.’
What is Labour’s plan for UK railways?
The party has vowed to bring passenger railway services into public ownership once the current private contracts come to an end, and it has introduced a bill for railways’ public ownership.
List of flights cancelled at Heathrow and Gatwick
Noora Mykkanen
Passengers at the two major London airports have been spared any mass cancellations today.
But some flights have been axed at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
Flights cancelled at Heathrow
British Airways BA430 at 8.25am to Amsterdam
British Airways BA716 at 3.20pm to Zurich
American Airlines AA135 at 4.55pm to Los Angeles
Cancellations at Gatwick
Vueling VY7823 at 9.35am to Barcelona
Severe delays on Metropolitan line
Noora Mykkanen
The major commuter Tube line has been hit by severe delays due to another signal failure, this time at Wembley Park.
Southbound trains are not stopping at Nortwick Park and Preston Road while engineers work to fix the issue.
Passengers can use their tickets in London buses, Overground and Chiltern Railways.
Delays between London St Pancras and City Thameslink
Noora Mykkanen
A faulty train caused delays at Farringdon shortly before 8am.
While lines have reopened, trains may still be delayed by up to 15 minutes as service recovers.
Disruption is expected until 8.30am.
National Rail said: ‘Earlier today, a train was delayed at Farringdon, blocking the southbound line through this station. This was due to a train fault.
‘All lines are now open and Thameslink services are getting back to the timetable. However, there have been some delays of up to 10-15 minutes, and a few trains may have alterations.’
Disruption to trains at London Victoria
Noora Mykkanen
Passengers have been warned of disruption to Southern trains at London Victoria after some railway lines were blocked.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system at Victoria.
Services to and from the busy station are affected, with delays of up to 20 minutes likely, National Rail said.
The disruption is expected until 7.30am.
Here are all the affected routes.
- Between London Bridge and London Victoria
- Between London Victoria and Selhurst / West Croydon / Sutton / Epsom / Epsom Downs / Dorking / Reigate / Gatwick Airport / East Grinstead / Ore / Hastings / Horsham / Brighton / Havant / Littlehampton / Bognor Regis / Eastbourne / Portsmouth Harbour
— Southern (@SouthernRailUK) August 12, 2024âï¸Services may be delays and cancelled running through a small number of platforms at London Victoria
ð¢This is due to a fault with the signalling system
ðPlease check journey planners before departure, and do allow extra time to complete your journey
Travelling on the Tube in hot weather
Noora Mykkanen
Today will be a scorcher in London, with mercury set to hit the highs of 34C.
While the mini heatwave has been great for those on their summer holidays, commuting to work can feel unbearable on the London Underground and train today.
A handful of Tube lines have air conditioning – Circle, Hammersmith & City, District, Metropolitan and Elizabeth lines.
Here are some tips for travelling in hot weather on the Tube.
- Carry water with you at all times
- Don’t board a train or bus if you feel unwell
- If you feel unwell, please get off at the next stop and contact a member of staff at the next station or speak to the bus driver
- Where possible, consider retiming journeys to less busy times
If possible, today might be the day to switch up your Tube journey for a Santander or a Lime bike.
— Thameslink (@TLRailUK) August 12, 2024âï¸ We’re expecting some hot weather today! ð
Please carry a bottle of water with you during the warm weather.
If you feel unwell, stay on the platform where colleagues can help you more easily. pic.twitter.com/Wu1Xhzdd2I
Severe delays on Bakerloo line
Noora Mykkanen
As if waking up bleary-eyed after the tropical night was not enough to deal with, the London Underground has thrown a spanner in the works of a smooth commute.
Part of the Bakerloo line is suspended, meaning there is no service between Elephant & Castle and Piccadilly Circus.
The rest of the line has severe delays, the latest TfL status update shows.
