Trackside fire disrupts trains at Gatwick Airport
A fire beside the railway near Gatwick Airport caused train delays.
Delays and cancellations were reported on Tuesday morning (September 29).
Southern Rail’s social media post, at 9.50am, read: “There is a fire next to the track between Gatwick Airport and Purley.
“Some lines are blocked and services will be delayed altered or cancelled.”
At 10am, the operator advised passengers travelling between the stations to allow an extra 30 minutes and check journey planners.
An update 45 minutes later read: “Network engineers have been working hard to resolve this issue and all lines are now open.
“We are working on getting services back to schedule and thank you for your patience.”Tickets were accepted at no extra cost on Southern and Thameslink services between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon, and on Gatwick Express services between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria.
Southern said all lines had reopened by 10.45am, although passengers were still advised to allow an extra 15 minutes while services returned to schedule.
At 11.15am, the operator confirmed the disruption had ended and no further trains would be affected. It reminded passengers delayed by 15 minutes or more that they may be eligible for Delay Repay compensation.
The incident followed a separate fire beside the railway near Clapham Junction on Sunday (September 27), which damaged signalling equipment.
Repairs continued into Monday, causing cancellations and delays on services between Sussex and London Victoria, including the suspension of Gatwick Express trains between Victoria and Brighton.