'Urgent repairs' needed in New Cross have caused 'severe disruption' on the railway this morning, with delays and cancellations expected to continue for the rest of the day across south east London and Kent.

A 5mph speed restriction has been put in place over part of the railway, and rail passengers have been warned of severe disruption to services in the region for the rest of the day, with Southeastern running a reduced service.

A significant number of trains have been cancelled to and from London Charing Cross, with services between the station and Kent either cancelled or diverted.

Southeastern Railway said that 'urgent repairs' are required to a section of track in the New Cross area which "severely restricts the number of trains that can run to and from London Charing Cross all day."

"You may wish to consider not travelling or to make an alternative plan, especially if travelling at peak times," the train operator has warned.

This Is Local London: The cracked set of points - Network RailThe cracked set of points - Network Rail

Network Rail issued a statement apologising for the disruption, which they explain are due to a cracked set of points, the equipment which helps trains switch tracks.

Engineers are on site and will reportedly be able to fix most of the problem this afternoon, but more work will be required overnight to complete the job.

This means the New Cross line is blocked, hitting Southeastern Services hard with some knock on impacts to Thameslink Railway passengers.

How does this affect my journey?

​​​​​​​Off-Peak

  • Trains between Dover Priory / Ramsgate / Ashford International and London Charing Cross are diverted to and from London Victoria
  • Trains between Dartford and London Charing Cross via Bexleyheath will be cancelled
  • Trains between Hastings and London Charing Cross will be diverted to and from London Cannon Street

Evening Peak

  • A significant number of trains will be cancelled to and from London Charing Cross

If you do decide to travel, you may use your ticket on the following alternative routes at no extra charge:

  • London Buses between Dartford and London Bridge
  • London Overground between New Cross and Canada Water
  • London Underground between Southeastern London terminal stations
  • Docklands Light Railway services on routes to and from Bank