Loss of signal causes delays and blocks the railway line towards Hove

Trains between Three Bridges and Hove were canceled and services from London Victoria to Littlehampton were rerouted via Horsham.

Customers have been advised that services on this route do not stop at regular stations between Gatwick Airport and Littlehampton.

Those traveling from London to Hove, Portslade, Shoreham, Lancing, Worthing or West Worthing should instead take a train to Brighton and change from there to a train to their destination.

Tickets are accepted on alternative Southern, Thameslink or Gatwick Express services between London and Brighton and between Brighton and Littlehampton.

A Southern spokesman said: “The fault has been confirmed as a track circuit fault. This means that the signaling system cannot automatically check whether the next track section behind the affected signal is free.

“The rail network is designed in such a way that if a signal stops working, trains will stop before they reach it.

“While this issue is ongoing, train crews will stop at the affected signal and contact the signaling center to confirm its location.

“At this point, the signalman will verbally authorize the driver to proceed to the next signal. This process increases the travel time of each train, which means services may experience short delays.”

Passengers are urged to check their journeys online using National Rail’s real-time timetable planner.