On Thursday morning, South Western Railway (SWR) faced a significant signaling issue that led to disruptions in the services to and from London Waterloo Station. As a result, SWR has issued its customers a “do not travel” message. The railway firm has announced that a significantly reduced service is operating on a minimal number of lines, and the disruption is expected to last until the end of the day.
Due to the signaling issue, SWR has stated that fourteen of the twenty-four London Waterloo platforms are closed. Peter Williams, SWR’s customer and commercial director, has expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers and apologized for the disruption. Williams has explained that the problem is still under investigation. While it is limited to the Waterloo area, the more comprehensive network will likely be affected as trains, and their crews will be displaced.
SWR has advised customers not to attempt to travel to or from London Waterloo Station this morning. While the situation remains fluid, two services per hour run between Reading and London. However, other stations, including Queenstown Road and Hampton Court, currently have no benefits.
London Waterloo Station is the busiest railway station in Britain, serving many passengers who rely on the station for their daily commute. The station handles an annual passenger count of 41.4 million, and the disruption is expected to cause significant inconvenience to many of them.
