London Waterloo all-day disruption as radio fault hits SWR, Thameslink and others

Major disruption is sweeping the railways in south London and across southern England due to an earlier radio system fault.

The incident has now been resolved but disruption is expected until the end of the day as operators get back on their feet.

The fault affected communication between drivers and signallers across the rail network.

Operators impacted include London Overground , Southern, Thameslink , Gatwick Express and South Western Railway.

National Rail is reporting that services may be delayed by up to 90 minutes or cancelled as a result.

Follow the latest updates below
A properly functioning radio system is critical for allowing trains to travel between stations safely.

When things go wrong, drivers are unable to communicate with signallers, stations, and emergency services.

Radio faults can be caused by equipment failure, software glitches, power supply problems, and faults with trackside infrastructure.

The last nationwide fault in 2024 was due to faulty GSM-R radio systems.

The GSM-R system was installed across the rail network between 2007 and 2014 and cost around £1.86 billion.

It’s a relatively new piece of technology and meant that analogue radios, which were unreliable in tunnels and deep cuttings, could be discontinued.

You’ll be able to claim a refund if your journey was impacted via the train operator.

You can find your train operator via the National Rail website here.

If you arrive late to your final destination, you may also be eligible for compensation.

This will depend on the type of ticket you have, who the operator was, and the length of your delay.

Compensation needs to be requested directly from the train company.

Network Rail says services “returning to normal” but warn of 90 minute delays
Network Rail is warning of delays of up to 90 minutes for the rest of the day as services begin to get back on their feet.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Due to issues with radio communications, train services in the South West and South have been subject to some delays this morning.

“Staff have worked to resolve the fault, and train services are now returning to normal.

We apologise to passengers for the disruption caused to their journeys this morning.”
Full list of affected operators
The fault has now been fixed, but delays are still expected across the rail network.

Here’s a reminder of the operators impacted:
Delays on lines to Brighton, Horsham, and Three Bridges, says Thameslink
Thameslink services to Brighton, Horsham, and Three Bridges are all expected to be delayed.

Passengers are advised to check before travelling.

Incident resolved, but expect delays
The radio fault has now been resolved according to National Rail.

However, disruption is still expected until the end of the day.

Southern Rail is still reporting delays of up to 90 minutes in and out of Victoria.

Southeastern services remain unaffected
Southeastern has confirmed its services are not affected in a post on X.

Problem has been resolved, but “major disruption” still expected - says operator
Southern Rail has said the problem has been resolved, but passengers should expect “major disruption” until the end of the day.

The operator said: "The fault with the radio system between the driver and the signaller that is affecting services on the South England network has now been resolved.

Some services may still be delayed by up to 90 minutes or cancelled whilst service recovers.

"Major disruption is expected until the end of the day."
London TravelWatch is warning disruption could last all day
South Western Railways urges passengers to use coach routes
South Western Railway is urging passengers to use coach services to travel today.

A full list of available coach routes and alternative transport for South Western services can be found here.