United Kingdom: Rail disruptions in England August 14-21 due to derailments /update 1

Event

Rail disruptions continue to be reported at London’s Waterloo Station as well as in eastern England as of Wednesday, August 16, following two unrelated train derailments that occurred on Monday, August 14, and Tuesday, August 15, respectively.

Cancelations and delays up to 30 minutes are expected throughout Wednesday for trains from and to London-Waterloo after a passenger train partially derailed early on Tuesday. These disruptions have been further exacerbated by an unrelated technical issue between the Vauxhall and Waterloo stations. According to local media, such disruptions may continue until Thursday.

Meanwhile, a second derailment occurred near the city of Ely on Monday, when 11 carriages of a freight train traveling from Felixstowe to Doncaster derailed. The accident has caused major disruptions on CrossCountry, East Midlands, and Greater Anglia services, affecting thousands of passengers. According to National Rail, delays and cancelations are expected to continue at least until August 21, as the track has been considerably damaged. A rail replacement bus service is currently operating between Bury Saint Edmunds and Peterborough stations.

Context

London Waterloo Station is the busiest railway station in London, served by the London Underground as well as South West Trains.

Advice

Travelers are advised to confirm rail schedules and to allow for extra time to reach their destinations. Further information can be found on the National Rail Enquiries website.