South Western Railway is unable to run any services between Woking and London Waterloo after a train hit an object on the track in the early hours of Monday morning.
Passengers have been urged to avoid attempting to travel on the route, which is usually one of the busiest in the country.
First announced as a “serious” track fault by National Rail Enquires, a Network Rail spokesperson has now announced more details about the cause of the disruption.
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“At around 5.50am this morning, a South Western Railway train travelling towards London Waterloo struck an object in the Walton-on-Thames area,” said the Network Rail spokesperson.
“No-one was injured and all passengers were safely escorted from the train; however, the lines through the area are currently blocked while we investigate.”
“Early investigations show the front wheels of the train are derailed, therefore it’s likely to take us some time to get the railway reopened.
“We’re really sorry for the disruption and will update customers on the repairs and timescale for reopening as we know more.”
Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Stay tuned for updates throughout the day.