Thousands of commuters faced major disruption on Friday, 9 May 2025, after a points failure near Clapham Junction halted services in and out of London Victoria, cancelling Gatwick Express trains and impacting all Southern routes.
The disruption began early Friday morning, with National Rail advising passengers not to travel via London Victoria as services were heavily delayed or cancelled. The issue, caused by a points failure, affected the critical stretch between Clapham Junction and Victoria.
Timeline of Disruption:
- Morning: National Rail issued a “Do Not Travel” advisory for London Victoria, citing severely reduced services.
- 5:00pm: Lines reopened, but major delays of up to 60 minutes and widespread cancellations continued.
- 6:00pm: Disruption extended, with Southern and Gatwick Express services still severely affected.
- 11:09pm: Disruption officially declared over and services returned to normal.
Key Routes Affected:
- Gatwick Express (London Victoria to Brighton)
- All Southern routes to and from London Victoria
Passengers experienced delays of up to 60 minutes and over eight hours of disruption before normal services resumed late in the evening.
Passenger Advice
A National Rail spokesperson said:
“You should avoid travelling to or from London Victoria until further notice, as an extremely reduced and heavily delayed service is operating at this station.”
The incident has once again raised concerns about the vulnerability of key rail infrastructure, particularly in one of London’s busiest commuter corridors.
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Gatwick Express and Southern trains cancelled on 9 May due to major points failure near Clapham Junction. London Victoria passengers told not to travel.
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London Victoria train disruption, Gatwick Express cancelled, Southern trains delayed, points failure Victoria, Clapham Junction rail issue
