Train disruptions at Chichester and Havant railway stations expected until end of day

Southern Rail released a statement on their website, which reads: “Disruption between Havant and Chichester expected until the end of the day.

"A fault with the signalling system between Havant and Chichester means that fewer trains are able to run on some lines. Trains may be cancelled or delayed by up to 15 minutes.

"This will also impact services travelling in the other direction due to crew and stock displacement.

"This part of the network uses track circuits to detect the position of trains. These are electrical systems which monitor whether a train is on a section of track.

They operate as part of the signalling system, which is designed to be ‘fail safe’.

"When a track circuit fails, the signalling system will interpret this as a train remaining in place, even though there may not be a train present at all, or the previous service may have long since left the area.

"As a result, further trains cannot be automatically allowed onto the relevant section of track. Train drivers will be stopped by red signals on approach. They will then get verbal permission from the signaller so that they can proceed, and will run at a heavily-reduced speed as far as the next signal.

"This is so that the drivers will stop safely if they see anything ahead of them.

"Disruption is expected until the end of the day.”

Brighton to Southampton trains will be reduced to an hourly service. Every other train will be terminated and restarted from Chichester Brighton to Portsmouth Harbour and Portsmouth & Southsea will be an hourly service as well.

Every other train will be terminated and restarted from Bognor Regis.

Southern Rail You will be able to use your ticket at no extra cost on the following:

• South Western Railway services between Portsmouth, Southampton, Havant, and London Waterloo  (please note, that South Western Railway services may also be impacted and could be subject to cancellations and delays)
• Great Western Railway services between Southampton and Portsmouth
• London Underground on any reasonable route including via London Waterloo for connections with South Western Railway services
• Stagecoach Buses route 700 between Brighton, Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and Portsmouth and Stagecoach bus route 500 for Chichester, Barnham and Littlehampton
• Alternative Southern services via any reasonable route
• Brighton & Hove Buses between Brighton and Shoreham-by-Sea