Rail passengers faced widespread disruption on Friday morning due to a nationwide fault with a critical communication system, although services are now returning to normal.
National Rail reported earlier that the issue with the onboard ‘GSM-R’ radio system, which allows communication between train drivers and signal operators, caused delays to services starting their journeys and led to some cancellations.
Services across the Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, and Thameslink networks were affected, with delays of up to 15 minutes or more. Southeastern, South Western Railway, and Elizabeth line trains to Heathrow also experienced disruptions.
Network Rail has since confirmed that the fault, traced to a major hub near Stoke, has been fixed, and the system is now operating as normal. Passengers are advised to check for updates as services recover.
Follow the latest updates below...
Key Points
- Rail network suffers communications glitch plunging rail network into chaos
- Rail system crash: Which London stations and operators are affected?
- What is the GSMR radio system?
- 'Absolute circus': Commuters vent their anger
- When will the problems on the rail network be resolved?
Severe delays on Jubilee Line
15:04 , Sami QuadriThe Jubilee line is experiencing severe delays on the southbound service due to a passenger taken ill on a train at West Hampstead. Northbound trains are running with a good service.
Piccadilly line disruption continues as other Tube lines run smoothly
13:40 , Sami QuadriThe Piccadilly line is facing major disruption today, with no service operating between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge due to poor rail conditions caused by significant leaf fall. Passengers traveling in this area are advised to use the Metropolitan line as an alternative.
The rest of the line is also experiencing severe delays, caused by a points failure at Cockfosters and a shortage of trains. Tickets are being accepted on London Buses to help passengers complete their journeys.
Meanwhile, all other London Underground lines are running with a good service.
Radio system fault fixed after disrupting train services across England and Wales
11:46 , Sami QuadriA fault with a radio system which disrupted train services on Friday morning has been fixed, Network Rail said.
A spokesperson for the Government-owned company said: “An overnight fault with our railway radio system in England and Wales has been traced to one of our major hubs near Stoke, which has now been fixed.
“The fault meant that train drivers were having to manually log into the national radio network rather than it happening automatically.“The system is now working normally.
“We’re sorry if your journey has been affected today as a result of this issue.”
National Rail warns of disruption as Storm Darragh approaches
11:28 , Sami QuadriNational Rail has warned passengers to expect cancellations, delays, and diversions as Storm Darragh brings high winds and heavy rain across the UK.
Damage to overhead wires has already blocked railway lines between Leeds and Wakefield Westgate, and more disruption is anticipated as gusts of up to 90mph sweep through affected areas.
Passengers are urged to check their journeys before setting off and consider alternative travel plans.
Southeastern expects delays to ease after morning disruption
11:15 , Sami QuadriSoutheastern Railway has announced it expects delays to reduce on its lines following this morning's disruption.
"Whilst the fault is not fixed, trains are now able to set up the radio systems when being prepared for their journey, so we are expecting the delays caused by this to begin reducing," the operator said.
Southeastern added that it anticipates its services will return to normal by around 11.30am.
Explained: What caused the network-wide rail meltdown
11:13 , Sami QuadriPassengers heading into London faced widespread chaos on the rail network on Friday morning.
But train companies hope the problems will ease before midday and that services will run as normal during the evening rush hour.
From the start of services on Friday, National Rail warned that services on what was the UK’s biggest franchise – the GoVia Thameslink network – could be cancelled, delayed by up to 15 minutes or terminate early.
This affects Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express trains.
Southeastern and South Western Railway – which operate commuter trains from south east London and south west London into central London – were also affected.
Here’s all you need to know about the problems on train services in and out of London.
Your rights if your train is delayed or cancelled
10:46 , Sami QuadriIf your train is delayed or cancelled, you could be entitled to compensation under the Delay Repay scheme or your operator’s own system. Many operators offer refunds for delays as short as 15 minutes, with payouts ranging from a quarter to the full price of your ticket depending on the delay length.
Claims must be submitted within 28 days, and you can usually choose payment via bank transfer, PayPal, or travel vouchers. If you decide not to travel due to disruption, you’re entitled to a full refund for your ticket. Check your operator’s website for details on how to claim.
Rail system crash: Which London stations and operators are affected?
10:28 , Matt WattsThere is widespread disruption to services across London’s rail network and beyond.
For details on key stations and lines that are being affected read our explainer here.
When will the problems on the rail network be resolved?
10:21 , Matt WattsRail operators are reporting different times for when they expect their services to be back to normal.
Southeastern is saying it expects most of its services to have returned to normal by 11.30am.
However South Western are saying in their latest update that disruption is expected until 3pm.
National Rail is saying that disruption to the Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink network will be “until further notice”.
⚠️UPDATE: Trains are running between 5 & 20 minutes late & we expect most trains to return to normal by 11:30.
— Southeastern (@Se_Railway) December 6, 2024
If you are delayed by 15 minutes or more, claim Delay Repay Here: https://t.co/xdQL4BTzWl
📲 More information on the disruption: https://t.co/Y2EZ2B1Gow #SEDisruption pic.twitter.com/HV4s5zO2oz
⏱️ We have now received an update and disruption to our services is now expected until 15:00.
— SWR Help (@SW_Help) December 6, 2024
As the investigations are ongoing this may change but we will update you if it does.
Chiltern Railways becomes latest operator affected
10:09Chiltern Railways now says it has been affected by the nationwide railway fault with communication systems.
The train provider mainly covers Greater London, South East England and the West Midlands.
It says all of its lines may be subject to delays.
Apologies. Due to a nationwide fault with the communication system used between train drivers and signallers services across all lines may be subject to delays.
— Chiltern Railways (@chilternrailway) December 6, 2024
For more information, please visit https://t.co/SE6myjVMDX pic.twitter.com/DQuV2t0Qaw
'Absolute circus': Commuters vent their anger
09:46 , Matt WattsCommuters are hitting out at rail companies after they have been hit by delays and cancellations due to the major rail disruption this morning.
One described an “absolute circus” as he sat on a train from Waterloo “going nowhere” after other services were cancelled and criticised the level of communication being given to passengers.
Hi @SW_Help what’s going on at #Waterloo? I’m trying to get to Woking. The 0700 train I wanted to get was cancelled, 0703 still hasn’t left, now sat on the 0730 and that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. No information from your staff either. Absolute circus.
— Alex JG (@whatrationale) December 6, 2024
@SW_Help @swtrains_watch @networkrail 07.57 fast service Surbiton to Waterloo. Cancelled. No excuse. When did we first hear it was cancelled? 07.58. You really didn't know before then????
— Michael John Collier (@Hebezak) December 6, 2024
What rail operators are being affected by GMSR issue?
09:33Here is a recap of the train operators who are affected by the communication system problem that is causing widespread chaos on the rail network this morning.
According to National Rail it is hitting the following train companies:
South Western Railway, London Northwestern Railway, ThamesLink, Southern Rail, Elizabeth Line, Great Northern, Southeastern and Gatwick Express
Images show very busy Victoria and Waterloo stations
09:22 , Matt WattsWaterloo and Victoria appear to be among the worst affected stations in London.
The South Western mainline, that runs from Waterloo through south west London down to Weymouth, is facing “major disruption”.
Victoria station is also reportedly very busy, understood to be largely due to the issues with Gatwick Express services, that have been badly hit, and begin at the station.
Here are the scenes at Waterloo this morning (pic from Jeremy Selwyn).
Engineers believe fault is at national hub in Doncaster
09:12 , Matt WattsThe BBC is reporting that it is understood that engineers believe the fault in the communications system lies within the system at the national telecommunications hub in Doncaster.
It says the disruption started “after the digital communication system used by drivers failed to connect on start-up.”
It says it has been told “there are no safety critical issues as staff have been using a workaround to manually reconnect.”
Thameslink says 'allow extra time to travel'
09:08Thameslink - which runs north to south through London - says the nationwide issue is affecting "multiple train companies".
"For most journeys you can travel using your normal route, however delays and alterations are possible," it says.
It is telling people to “check your journey this morning and allow extra time to travel”.
ℹ️ Please continue to check your journey this morning and allow extra time to travel.
— Thameslink (@TLRailUK) December 6, 2024
👷♂️👷♀️Network Rail have also shared the following post and will be keeping you updated also 👇https://t.co/lwua04kqAx
Light at the end of the tunnel?
08:52While there is no signs of the problems due to the communications fault being resolved in London, ScotRail, that operates in Scotland, which previously reported being affected by the GSMR outage, now says it’s services are operating normally, with just a few delays.
Our colleagues at Network Rail are experiencing an industry-wide problem with communications systems. Thankfully ScotRail services are operating well, with some minor delays in places. Please check before you travel.
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) December 6, 2024
In contrast, train operators in London have said there will be problems on the network until at least midday.
What is the GSMR radio system?
08:40 , Matt WattsThe problem that is causing chaos on the railways nationwide this morning is down to a fault with the global system for mobile communications – railway (GSM-R).
The technology uses digital communications between trains and signallers to improve safety for passengers.
While it works in a similar way to mobile phones, the digital system is not reliant on commercial mobile phone operators.
The rail network has its own contained phone and mast system. A fault is affecting communications and as a result services are hugely impacted.
A manual backup system is having to be used.
A notice on the National Rail website said: “There is a nationwide fault with the communication system used between train drivers and signallers. As a result, services across the National Rail network may be subject to disruption this morning.
“Trains across the network are having to start their journeys later because of this fault and some may also be subject to cancellations or alterations.”
South Western services to and from Waterloo affected
08:35 , Matt WattsSouth Western Railway is among the operators to cancel some services.
It said in a message to passengers: "We have been informed of a national issue with communication systems affecting service this morning.
"This means that trains may be delayed before they start their journey.This is because it is preventing our train drivers from contacting the respective signalling centre this morning and a reset is having to be performed before the train can start its journey."
The rail operator operates trains in and out of London Waterloo.
Elizabeth line to Heathrow also affected: 'Wait for next train if one is cancelled'
08:29National Rail has said Elizabeth line services on the line between Reading and Heathrow Airport are also impacted by the communications problem.
It has said: “You are advised to wait for the next available train if your service is cancelled.”
Transport for London has not reported any problems with the Elizabeth Line on its website, suggesting problems are only limited to that section of the line.
Chaos expected until 'at least midday'
08:23 , Matt WattsA further update has been issued by National Rail and it suggests the disruption caused by the communications system fault will continue for a number of hours.
Highlighting services from Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink network - it said they may be cancelled, delayed by up to 15 minutes or revised, and the disruption was expected to continue until 12pm.
ℹ️#GTRDisruption - There is a nationwide fault with the train's onboard communication system. As a result, services across the Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink network may be cancelled, delayed by up to 15 minutes or revised.
— National Rail (@nationalrailenq) December 6, 2024
We expect this to continue…
Moorgate-Finsbury Park trains 'getting back to normal'
07:41 , Michael HowieTrains are returning to normal following a fault with the radio system between Moorgate and Finsbury Park.
However National Rail says trains may still be cancelled or delayed.
Update on rail disruption
07:39 , Michael HowieNational Rail has issued an update on the communication glitch disrupting the train network this morning.
It has added South Western Railway to the list of affected operators.
Travellers are urged to check before they head off on the National Rail real-time journey planner.
Suspension on the Overground network
07:12 , Michael HowieThere is no service on the Mildmay line between Stratford and Willesden Junction due to a track fault at Gospel Oak, says TfL. The rest of the line is severely delayed.
The same issue is causing severe delays on the Suffragette line.
Rail network suffers glitch
07:08 , Michael HowieThere’s some potentially ominous news for rail travellers...
National Rail says a nationwide onboard communication fault is disrupting services across multiple networks.
Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink are all affected, it reports.
It says: “Trains are delayed because of a nationwide fault with onboard "GSMR" radio system that allows communication between train drivers and signal operators.
“As a result, trains across the network are having to start their journeys later because of this fault and some may not be able to travel at all.”
It says Elizabeth line services between Reading and Heathrow are also impacted.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one.
Good morning
07:01 , Michael HowieWelcome to our coverage of travel news on this blustery Friday morning.
We’ll keep you posted on all the major developments as the day progresses.
