Major disruption to trains between Sussex and London Victoria will continue on Monday (September 28), following a trackside fire near Clapham Junction.

In an update at 8.15am, Southern Rail said signalling equipment damaged by the fire was still being repaired. Disruption is now expected until 4pm.

An extremely reduced service will run to and from Victoria until at least 2pm, with trains liable to be cancelled, diverted, revised or delayed by up to an hour.

Southern has urged passengers to delay travelling if possible or use another London terminal. A limited half-hourly service between Victoria and East Croydon is expected to be extremely busy.

Major disruption to trains between Sussex and London Victoria will continue on Monday (September 28), following a trackside fire near Clapham Junction. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

placeholder image — Major disruption to trains between Sussex and London Victoria will continue on Monday (September 28), following a trackside fire near Clapham Junction. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Gatwick Express services between Victoria and Brighton remain suspended. Southern services between Victoria and East Grinstead, West Croydon and London Bridge are also suspended, while routes to Littlehampton, Ore and Dorking face heavy disruption.

Passengers travelling between London and Brighton are advised to use Thameslink services to or from London Bridge.

Those travelling between East Grinstead and London should use Thameslink where available, or Metrobus routes 281 and 400 to reach Three Bridges for onward connections.

Southern said it was also working to arrange replacement buses between East Grinstead and Oxted.

Southern said: “If you are planning to travel to or from London Victoria this morning, you are strongly advised to use an alternative London terminal instead.”

Alternative routes are expected to add at least 60 minutes to journeys. Tickets are being accepted at no extra cost on specified Thameslink, Southern, Underground, bus and other rail services. Passengers who could not complete a journey on Sunday can also use their September 27 tickets today without paying extra.

The disruption began when a fire beside the railway near Clapham Junction damaged signalling equipment on Sunday. Emergency repairs continued overnight and into this morning. Southern said London Overground and South Western Railway services were able to run normally.

Passengers should check Southern’s live service updates before setting out, as the timetable and estimated end time may change.

To claim delay repay compensation, visit: https://www.southernrailway.com/help-and-support/delay-repay-compensation