Southern England train disruption expected to last all day after radio fault
The issue, first reported on Thursday morning, has been fixed but delays are expected to continue until the end of the day
Trains across southern England are expected to be severely disrupted until the end of the day due to an earlier radio fault.
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Network Rail has said on Thursday that disruption was caused by a "fault with the radio system between the driver and the signaller."
The issue was first reported towards the end of the rush hour this morning. The fault has now been fixed but delays are expected to continue until the end of the day.
Some services have been cancelled while others have been delayed by up to an hour and a half.
The most affected operator is South Western Railway (SWR), while routes run by Southern, CrossCountry, Gatwick Express, Great Western Railway, London Overground and Thameslink have also been disrupted.
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SWR and Network Rail Wessex said in a statement: "The issue has now been resolved and services are running but will take some time to return normal operations.
"We apologise for the disruption that this has caused to passengers.”
The National Rail website said the issue was resolved at 11am but said: “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.”
ℹ️ Gatwick Express services are now likely to run to/from Brighton, rather than terminating at Hayward Heath.
— Gatwick Express (@GatwickExpress) May 7, 2026
📲 You should continue to check the Gatwick Express app, or our website, for the latest information regarding your journey: https://t.co/ZTUEaFZc41
Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, said disruption would last "into the afternoon".
The radio fault meant services west of Chichester weren't able to run.
"This has now been resolved, but disruption is expected to last into the afternoon so please check before you travel," a spokesperson said.
Passengers have been told that they can use their tickets on alternative routes or operators at no further cost.
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.”
Thameslink also said in a post online: “If you've been delayed at your destination by 15 minutes or more, you should apply for Delay Repay compensation.”