Points failure between Gatwick Airport and Three Bridges – no trains between Horsham and Three Bridges ‘until further notice’

No trains can run between Horsham and Three Bridges until further notice. Please allow an extra 40 minutes to complete your journey as you may have to use an alternative route or alternative transport.

Thameslink trains which would usually run between London and Horsham or Three Bridges will instead terminate and restart at Gatwick Airport or Three Bridges where possible.

Southern trains which would usually run between London Victoria and Portsmouth/Bognor Regis via Horsham, will instead divert to run via either Dorking or Hove, depending on where crew route knowledge allows this.

Ford, Arundel, Amberley, Pulborough, Billingshurst, and Christs Hospital stations will not be served. If you are travelling to or from any of these stations, you will need to use an alternative route to reach your destination.

A statement on the Southern website said: “A points failure has been reported, and this is preventing trains from using some of the routes through this area.

“Points are moveable sections of track which can send trains onto different routes at junctions. These are part of the signalling system, generally managed by Network Rail.

“Points can stop moving correctly for a number of reasons. For example, there may be an obstruction in the moving parts, or the electronic control systems may have developed a fault.

“There are various backup systems which allow signallers to try to "set" the points, and in some cases, the points may be available for trains in one of the directions they serve, but not another. However, with more severe failures, the line in question may be blocked entirely.

“Network Rail will send their specialist Signalling & Telecoms teams to site, and they will set up a safe method of working on the track. To allow staff to access the railway, sometimes we have to stop trains completely, which can lead to your train being held at stations or signals en route.

“As soon as it's safe to go on the line, the staff will diagnose the fault and find any quick solutions to resolve it.

“Whilst this is being done, we will be monitoring progress closely. At times, replacement parts may be needed, or specialist advice from suppliers, which is why some points failures take longer to resolve than others.”

You can use your ticket on the following, at no extra cost:

• Metrobus between Horsham, Three Bridges and Redhill
• Alternative Southern and Thameslink services between Three Bridges and London
• Southwestern trains between Portsmouth/Southampton and London Waterloo
• Great Western Railway services between Southampton and Portsmouth, and between Guildford and Gatwick Airport
• London Underground via any reasonable route
• Southeastern between Hastings and London Victoria

You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.

You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.