Train operators have confirmed that a signal failure at the busiest railway station in Britain has now been resolved, after commuters were faced with cancellations and disruptions throughout a large part of Thursday April 13.
Due to a significant signal failure, rail travellers were advised to avoid London Waterloo yesterday.
South Western Railway informed commuters that a considerably limited service would operate to and from London Waterloo due to a serious signalling issue that had arisen on Wednesday night.
A statement made by the train operator on Thursday read: “We’re advising customers not to attempt travel to or from London Waterloo this morning as a result.
“We’re sorry for the disruption this morning. Engineers are working to restore signalling; however, we expect disruption to last for most of the day.”
Trains from Waterloo to Alton, Guildford, and Weymouth were among the services that experienced delays.
Surrey, Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Dorset trains from the entire network were all cancelled. Many passengers also faced train cancellations for the rest of the day.
The 10 remaining platforms were used by running trains, however, they were extremely late. Nearly an hour was lost by a Teddington train that was scheduled to arrive at 6.20am.
How to claim a refund
If passengers were unable to travel, they are entitled to a full refund, and season ticket holders will receive a day's worth of compensation.
Passengers who have been impacted by the delays can submit a form on the South Western Railway website. You will need to upload a picture of your ticket.
If you prefer, you may write them a letter. You’ll need to send your original tickets and provide travel information. Making duplicates of them is a good idea in case your letter is misplaced; a digital snapshot or scan will do. Within one month, you should receive reimbursement.
It doesn’t matter what type of ticket you purchased, if your train is cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund.
If you are delayed by 15 minutes or longer when you travel with South Western Railway, you can claim Delay Repay, a national scheme that makes it easy for you to receive compensation for delayed journeys.
If you are a season ticket holder, you can get an estimate on how much you will be refunded using the National Rail refund calculator.
You can also make a claim for expenses you’ve incurred during disruption.
You are also entitled to the following if you arrive at your location more than an hour late:
- 50 per cent of the cost of your single-ticket purchase.
- If you purchased a roundtrip ticket, 25 per cent of your ticket cost.
- If you purchased a return ticket and were delayed on both trips for more than an hour, you would be entitled to 50 per cent of your ticket cost.
Aim to submit your claim within 28 days — some train companies do give you more time.
Many companies provide vouchers that can be used on future rail trips. You don't have to consent to them; you can insist on receiving a cash refund.
If you're not satisfied with the way your train company has responded, you can pursue your complaint further.
If you have a complaint about any train company, you should contact the Rail Ombudsman, who can look into it. If they are unable to resolve your problem, they will connect you with a different company that can.
