A crack in the track is causing major delays to trains across south east London this morning as urgent repairs are carried out.
Southeastern and Thameslink services between Charing Cross & London Bridge and London Bridge & Dartford are being suspended or diverted, with major delays on the Woolwich, Bexleyheath, Sidcup and Dartford lines.
The cause of the delays is a piece of broken track discovered overnight at New Cross Station in Lewisham.
Southeastern said urgent repairs were taking place with "response staff working to replace the damaged piece of track," but this is not expected to be completed until 10am.
⚠️ We're sorry to say that @Se_Railway + @TLRailUK trains will be disrupted this morning by this cracked rail near #NewCross . We're working on a plan to run trains around the problem but it's not a normal rail, so it's not an easy fix. #TLUpdates /1 ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/luRUHHzwXY
— Network Rail Kent and Sussex (@NetworkRailSE) February 4, 2020
Disruption is likely to continue until 11am, and train tickets are currently being accepted via reasonable routes on the London Underground, buses, Thameslink services and the Docklands Light Railway.
Passengers caught up in the heavy delays have been voicing their frustration on social media this morning.
Well the trains into London from the South East are a big hot sweaty mess this morning.#NewCross #Deptford #LondonBridge #LondonCommute
— Dave Briggs 🥦☠️ (@xtaldave) February 4, 2020
The appalling service provided by @Se_Railway was raised in parliament by @mtpennycook @abenaopp and me last Thursday. It’s time that TfL took over this franchise. https://t.co/zw15L7lDVW
— Clive Efford (@CliveEfford) February 4, 2020
Not even 7am and every train to Waterloo and Charing Cross have been cancelled. And of course absolutely no explanation from no one at the station. Do you ever bother updating your staff on reasons why these continuous issues happen so they can apologise to customers @Se_Railway
— Tanya 🥂 Glam Glitz Gloss (@GlamGlitzGloss) February 4, 2020
Network Rail apologised for the delays caused by the cracked rail, but said it is "not an easy fix" and as the track was a 'bespoke part.'
The defect is at a crossing where one track corsses another, and is a special part made from either cast or fabricated steel so can't just be clamped down.
Instead, response staff are having to cut the piece of track, which is often explosively hardened before it's used, and replace it with a new part.
The pic (Ashford at Christmas) shows what kind of problem we have. That steel in the middle takes the hit of trains many times an hour and is designed to get harder with every one. Most are made from a type of steel called "manganese" which gets harder when it's hit. /6 pic.twitter.com/A65BM5JIre
— Network Rail Kent and Sussex (@NetworkRailSE) February 4, 2020
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