Gatwick Airport passengers face second day of rail disruption
Passengers travelling to and from Gatwick Airport have faced a second consecutive day of rail disruption, with delays of up to 20 minutes caused by a safety inspection of the track.
Southern Rail said, around 8.30am, on Thursday (September 10) that one of the two southbound lines between Purley and Gatwick Airport had been blocked while the inspection took place.
The disruption affected trains travelling towards Gatwick Airport, Haywards Heath and Horsham.
Passengers were initially told to expect their journeys to be extended by around 15 minutes, although they did not need to use an alternative route.
By 11.15am, Southern said passengers could continue using their normal route but should allow an additional 20 minutes.
Tickets were also being accepted at no extra cost on Thameslink and Southern services between London, Gatwick Airport and the south coast.
Passengers could also use their tickets on London Underground services between London terminals.
All lines reopened at 1.05pm, although Southern warned that services were still being brought back to schedule and advised passengers to allow an extra 20 minutes.
The disruption comes a day after a broken-down freight train caused major problems between Purley and Gatwick Airport.
The freight train broke down shortly after 7am on Wednesday, blocking some southbound lines and causing services to be delayed, cancelled or altered.
Network Rail engineers attended and a rescue train was sent to move the freight train, while an oil leak was subsequently reported in the area.
The lines reopened at around 12.30pm on Wednesday, with the disruption declared cleared at around 1pm.
The rail problems come in the aftermath of Tuesday's major air traffic control failure.
The NATS technical failure caused widespread flight cancellations and delays at Gatwick and airports across the UK, leaving aircraft, crew and passengers out of position.
The rail industry introduced relaxed ticket rules for eligible passengers affected by the flight disruption, allowing those whose flights were cancelled or rebooked to use their rail tickets on different dates or alternative routes.
Southern said it was working to get services back to schedule following Thursday's track inspection and thanked passengers for their patience.
To claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more, visit: https://www.southernrailway.com/help-and-support/delay-repay-compensation