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London travel news LIVE: Severe delays on Piccadilly Line to Heathrow Airport due to signal failure

There were severe delays on the Piccadilly Line, including on trains to Heathrow Airport, at lunch time on Friday due to a signal failure at Caledonian Road.

Earlier on Friday the Metropolitan Line was part-suspended due to flooding as heavy rains fall across London, with no trains running between Chalfont & Latimer and Chesham.

Commuters also faced severe delays at rush hour on Friday morning on the Overground and District Line due to track faults at Kew Gardens and Clapham Junction .

Live updates below.

Live updates

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Delays on four Tube lines as Overground also delayed

There are delays on four Tube lines, with the Overground also experiencing delays.

The Bakerloo is severely delayed due to an earlier points failure at Harrow & Wealdstone, while the Central is delayed over an earlier trespasser on the track and defective train at Bethnal Green.

The Metropolitan is suspended between Baker Street and Aldgate, and delayed elsewhere, while the Piccadilly is delayed between Acton Town and Rayners Lane / Heathrow Airport.

Trespass incident hits routes to Salisbury

A trespass incident is affecting the railway at Salisbury, South Western Railway has said.

Trains may be cancelled, delayed or revised because of this problem. Disruption is expected until 10pm.

Metropolitan Line delayed

The Metropolitan Line is also now delayed.

]TfL says there are severe delays while engineers fix a signal failure at Harrow-on-the-Hill.

Severe delays continue on three Tube lines

Severe delays are continuing on the Central, Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines.

On the Bakerloo, delays are being caused due to an earlier points failure at Harrow & Wealdstone.

On the Central, delays are because of an earlier defective train at Bethnal Green, TfL says.

Meanwhile, on the Piccadilly, there are severe delays between Acton Town and Uxbridge/ Heathrow Airport due to an earlier signal failure Caledonian Road.

Overground services back to normal

Disruption to Overground services between Watford Junction and London Euston has now been resolved.

National Rail said a points failure at Harrow & Wealdstone had now been fixed, meaning services could run normally.

Engineering work to affect Thameslink services

Engineering work tomorrow will close some lines between London Blackfriars and East Croydon.

Thameslink has warned that this will in turn, affect the usual route its drivers use to run the Horsham to Peterborough services.

It means there will be no direct Thameslink service between Horsham and Peterborough.

For more information, visit here.

London Overground part-suspended

There is no service between Harrow & Wealdstone and Watford Junction while Network Rail fix a points failure at Harrow & Wealdstone.

Transport for London has said there is a good service on other routes.

Minor delays on the Hammersmith and City Line

There are minor delays on the Hammersmith and City Line between Liverpool Street and Barking due to a trespasser on the track, Transport for London has said.

Trains running on Bakerloo Line again

There are severe delays between Queen's Park and Harrow & Wealdstone on the Bakerloo Line after an earlier signal failure at Kensal Green stopped trains running. Transport for London has said there is a good service on the rest of the line.

London travel news LIVE: Trains resume after line closed at Catford Bridge due to 'police incident'

LIVE – Updated at 17:40

A south London train line was closed after police responded to a concern for welfare at Catford Bridge railway station on Friday afternoon.

Southeastern and Network Rail warned passengers of delays on the line from Lewisham to Hayes after the incident and by 3pm a normal service had resumed.

The British Transport Police said: “Officers were called to Catford Bridge railway station shortly after 1pm on today following reports of a concern for welfare.

“Officers attended along with the ambulance service and the person was taken to hospital.”

London Ambulance Service also sent a crew to the site.

Elsewhere, hundreds of Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport started a three-day strike on Friday in a dispute over rosters.

The Public and Commercial Services union ( PCS ) said more than 500 of its members working on passport control at terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 are taking action in protest at new rosters being imposed.

The strikes will be followed by three weeks of industrial action short of a strike, including a ban on overtime.

The union said it expected disruption over the weekend as families return to the UK at the end of the half-term holiday.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Border Force have robust plans to minimise disruption and keep the border safe and secure.

"We recommend that passengers check the latest advice from their operators before travelling."

Meanwhile a multi-vehicle crash on the M25 had stopped traffic between Junction 6 Godstone and Junction 5. Traffic is now moving along the section after delays of around 90 minutes for some motorists.

For the latest travel updates scroll down.

Severe delays on Metropolitan Line

There are severe delays between Aldgate and Wembley Park on the Metropolitan Line, says TfL, while it fixes a faulty train at Finchley Road.

Minor delays on three Tube lines

There are now minor delays on the Circle, Northern and Piccadilly lines, says TfL.

Delays on Circle line

There are now minor delays on the Circle line due to train cancellations.

Transport for London has reported a good service on all other lines apart from the Piccadilly. There are still severe delays between Acton Town and Uxbridge due to an earlier signal failure at Holborn.

More delays on M25

There are once more long delays on the M25 anticlockwise from J9 A243 (Leatherhead) to J6 A22 (Godstone).

There are now lane closures are in place after J6 and there are said to be travel times of 45 minutes.

Trains back to normal through Catford Bridge

Trains are now running normally following emergency services dealing with an incident at Catford Bridge, Network Rail has said.

The line between Hayes and Lewisham had been blocked after a police incident from around 1pm.

Emergency services dealing with incident at Catford Bridge

The emergency services are dealing with an incident at Catford Bridge.

National Rail has warned that the line towards Lewisham is blocked. Train services running between the stations may be canceled, delayed or revised.

Disruption is expected until 3pm.

Trains between London Bridge and Croydon delayed by 20 minutes

Trains between London Bridge and East Croydon may be delayed by up to 20 minutes, National Rail has warned.

A fault with the signalling system between New Cross Gate and East Croydon means trains have to run at a reduced speed on some lines.

Delays are expected until 4pm.

London Overground no longer part suspended

Transport for London has lifted its suspension of the Overground.

Earlier today, there was no service between Sydenham and Crystal Palace due to a track fault at Brockley.

There is a good service elsewhere on the TfL routes apart from the Piccadilly line where there are severe delays. This is due to a signal failure at Holborn.

Why Border Force are striking

More than 500 PCS union members on Border Force staff are striking.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “We call on all trade unionists and the public to support this petition and tell Border Force management to scrap this unwelcome and unworkable roster that has already caused misery to our members.

“PCS has repeatedly called for more flexibility in the new roster but management has refused to listen.

“Until they do, and they put forward proposals to improve the roster, then the dispute will continue.”

More delays on the M25

A round up of some M25 delays here:

One lane is closed and traffic is queueing due to stalled vehicle on A3 Northbound at M25 J10 (Wisley Interchange).

There is some delay anticlockwise from J17 A412 Denham Way (Maple Cross) to J16 M40.

And there is slow traffic anticlockwise from J27 M11 to J25 A10 (Enfield) in a construction area.

Severe delays on Piccadilly line

On the Piccadilly line, there are severe delays King's Cross to Acton Town westbound due to signal failure at Holborn.

There are minor delays on the rest of the line.

Heavy traffic on M25 approaching Sevenoaks

There is now heavy traffic on M25 both ways between J5 M26 / A21 (Sevenoaks) and (Clacket Lane Services).

There is congestion to J4 Orpington, clockwise, due to construction.

Earlier there had been lane closures further down to J6 on the anticlockwise section due to a collision. But, as of 11.15am, normal conditions had restored.

TfL warns of travel disruption due to Champions League final

Transport for London has warned that passengers could face delays through the capital on Saturday night due to the Champions League final.

Borussia Dortmund are playing Real Madrid in the game which is set to kick off at 8pm from Wembley Stadium.

There are also fan events around Trafalgar Square, Regent Street, Somerset House, the Southbank Area and Potters Field Park.

In addition, fans going from pub to pub could see crowds in Baker Street, Bond Street, Canary Wharf, Charing Cross, Embankment, Marble Arch, Waterloo, Westminster, Wembley Park and Wembley Central

Guidance for passengers going through eGates

Border Force has created a video to explain eGates and how to use them.

Always keep your passport and travel documents handy, advice states .

To avoid delays, when you arrive at UK passport control:

• remove your passport from its cover and have it open at the photo page
• take off any hats, headphones and sunglasses
• put mobile phones or tablets away when it’s time to see an officer
• stay together when travelling as a family

Engineering works to hit South West Railway network over weekend

Planned engineering works are taking place on the South Western Railway network on Sunday, June 2 in the Wokingham area only.

For information on how to replan your journey, click here .

Heathrow Airport asks passengers to use self service eGates

Heathrow Airport has said that due to industrial action by Border Force officers, from today (Friday, May 31) until Sunday, that passengers should use the self-service eGates if eligible, to reduce time at the border.

More than 500 staff are taking the strike action.

Slow traffic on M25 due to construction

There is currently slow traffic on the M25 anticlockwise from J26 A121 Honey Lane (Waltham Abbey) to J25 A10 (Enfield).

There is congestion to Loughton, back through Epping Forest from J26.

Inrix has said delays are due to a construction project.

Warning about Dartford tunnel being closed next week

Dartford east tunnel is set to be closed weeknights 9pm to 5.30am starting Monday.

The closure will last until July 1.

Vehicles 4.8m - 5m high will use M25 clockwise and vehicles lower than 4.8m will use Dartford west tunnel. The QEII Bridge will also be closed next month, see full details here .

Mansion House station reopens

Mansion House Tube station has now reopened, having been shut this morning.

The station was closed on Friday due to unavailability of station staff.

Who is striking this summer and why?

Border Force are not the only workers holding walk outs this summer.

There could be further rail strikes while junior doctors have also pledged to take strike action.

Here is a round up of what is happening.

M25: All lanes now reopen along Surrey stretch

All lanes have re-opened on the M25 anticlockwise in Surrey between J6 (Godstone) and J5 (M26).

There is still a 90 minute delay in the area with six miles of congestion but this should now start to ease.

Train disruption between East Croydon and New Cross Gate

Rail disruption is expected between New Cross Gate and East Croydon until midday.

National Rail has said customers can use buses and Southern rail services at no additional cost.

Delays on M25 anticlockwise section now 90 minutes

Two lanes of three remain closed on the M25 anticlockwise in Surrey between J6 (Godstone) and J5 (M26) following a collision.

The spillage has now been cleared and Highways teams are re-opening all lanes soon.

There's now a 90 minute delay on approach with six miles of congestion.

A10 Kingsland High Street closed due to incident

Part of the A10 Kingsland High Street, through Dalston, has been closed due to a police incident.

The closure is after a shooting incident on Wednesday that left a girl fighting for her life .

The section is closed both ways between Sandringham Road and Crossway / Shacklewell Lane.

Disruption has been felt since Wednesday night but the closure has been reduced, Inrix has said, and is now just north of the station now.

There is a detour in operation for buses 67, 76, 149, 236, 243 and 488.

London Overground now part suspended

On the London Overground there is currently no service between Sydenham and Crystal Palace due to a track fault at Brockley.

There is a good service on all other routes.

Also long delays on *clockwise* section of M25

We have already reported 70 minute delays on the M25 to an incident between J6 and J5 in Surrey.

There are now long delays on M25 clockwise - in the other direction - due to construction work.

Disruption in Rainham

In Rainham in Essex two lanes are blocked on the A13.

Traffic is queueing for one mile due to collapsed manhole on A13 out of town from (Ferry Lane Interchange) to A1306 (Wennington Interchange).

Police are blocking lanes one and two of three along the passage.

Stratford station no longer closed

Startford station is now open and fully operational after an incident last night.

Some lines were closed through the east London hub last night after a person was hit by a train .

At the time of writing, all Transport for London lines are operating a good service.

Now 70 minute delays to M25 blockage

There is now a 70 minute delay on approach to the M25 anticlockwise incident, with five miles of congestion.

Two lanes (of three) remain closed in Surrey between J6 (Godstone) and J5 (M26) following a collision.

Recovery is now complete however there is a spillage which requires clearing.

The full story: More than 500 Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport to launch three-day strike

Hundreds of Border Force officers working at passport control at Heathrow Airport will launch a three-day strike on Friday in a dispute over rosters.

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said more than 500 of its members at terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 are taking action in protest at new rosters being imposed.

Miriam Burrell has the full story here.

P&O Ferries warns of long delays at border control

P&O Ferries to Calais has warned of long queues at border control.

The service is closing check-in 90 mins prior to departure due to these delays.

“Rest assured, if you miss your sailing, we will accommodate you on the next available departure,” a statement read.

“Thank you for your patience.”

Mansion House station closed

Mansion House Tube station is currently closed.

This station is closed due to unavailability of station staff.

Tickets are being accepted on London Buses.

Traffic queues in north West London

There is currently queueing traffic on A40 into central London from the Greenford Flyover to the A406 (Hanger Lane Gyratory System).

One lane closed before Hanger Lane, which means only one lane through the tunnel.

The delays are said to be caused by ongoing construction work.

Now 30 minute delays on the M25

Two out of three lanes remain closed on the M25 anticlockwise between J6 (#Godstone) and J5 (#M26).

There's still a 30 minute delay with 4.5 miles of congestion on approach, National Highways has said.

Emergency services are still at the scene.

National Highways South East has said traffic has ben stopped on the M25 anti-clockwise in Surrey between Junction 6 at Godstone and Junction 5 at the M26 due to a multi-vehicle collision.It said emergency services are in attendance, and shortly before 7am there was already a 30 minute delay on approach.

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London Underground strike causing travel disruption across capital

Picket lines will be set up outside London Underground stations across the city amid an ongoing dispute over jobs and pensions, as millions of commuters face misery.

By Guy Birchall, news reporter

Thursday 10 November 2022 08:09, UK

A Tube strike is causing disruption across London with extremely limited services on the London Underground today.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and Unite are involved in a long-running dispute over jobs and pensions which has led to previous disruption due to industrial action.

Passengers are urged to check before travelling on Thursday with problems expected to continue into Friday morning due to the walkout.

A very reduced service is running on the Central, Northern and District lines with no service on all other lines.

The Elizabeth line is running but may not be calling at some stations it shares with the Tube.

Transport for London (TfL) said London Overground and DLR services may also be subject to last minute changes on Thursday, with London Trams running a reduced timetable and buses expected to be much busier than normal.

Union members will mount picket lines outside Tube stations across the capital, with a group of around a dozen seen holding an RMT banner outside King's Cross St Pancras as early as 7am.

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Nearby, commuters were seen being turned away from packed buses.

The RMT claims it offered to suspend the strike during talks but accused TfL of rejecting its proposals.

Glynn Barton, TfL's chief operating officer, said no proposals to change pensions or conditions had been made.

TfL's recent funding agreement with the government required it to develop options around pensions, but the organisation said if changes are to be made, there would be consultations before any decisions are made.

The RMT alleges it asked TfL to pause any job cuts and pension changes to give both sides time to negotiate a deal.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "TfL have missed a golden opportunity to make progress in these negotiations and avoid strike action.

"Our members are resolute in their determination to see a just settlement to this dispute, and they will continue their industrial campaign for as long as it takes."

More than 1,000 Unite members will be on strike .

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "TfL is needlessly attacking our members' pay and pensions, which Unite simply can't accept. The workers have the full support of their union in fighting these attacks. TfL must stop behaving like a race-to-the-bottom employer and put forward an offer that is acceptable to our members."

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Perth Airport flights to resume after refuelling issue grounded planes, stranding thousands

A refuelling issue at Perth Airport which grounded domestic and international flights on Saturday morning has been resolved, the airport says.

At least 70 domestic and international flights were affected, with planes unable to land at the airport or depart.

Passengers were stranded at airports nationwide and at some international destinations, including Doha waiting to get to Perth.

Perth Airport said a problem with load pressure in the fuel lines had caused the issue, which had since been fixed.

Airport CEO Jason Waters said the system had now been repaired and tested.

Mr Waters apologised to impacted travellers and said the airport would be working with airlines to resume normal operations as soon as possible.

"The effects will be felt throughout today but we'd like to think that within a short period of time after that we'll get back to normal flights," he said.

"I'd like to think that by this evening and into tomorrow we'll have it dealt with but given we're talking about long haul flights and the extent of the backlog, it might take some time."

It's understood some flights had been delayed since Friday night, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

The airport called in external experts, including engineers and technicians, to identify and repair the problem.

"As of just recently, I can inform you that we are back to normal refuelling and obviously very keen to see a return to normal operation," Mr Waters said.

"This has had a significant impact on flights overnight. 

"From Perth airport's perspective we're very apologetic and sympathetic to impacted travellers.

"We're going to work very hard with our airlines here to ensure we get things back to normal as quickly as possible."

Mr Waters said the problem appeared to be the result of "air sucked into the distribution system".

No compensation for passengers, says Virgin

Virgin Airlines apologised to customers in a statement handed to passengers at Perth Airport, but said it was not required by law to provide compensation "for delays or cancellations outside of our control".

"We recommend you contact your travel insurance provider to assist you with any unforeseen expenses," the statement said.

A virgin spokeswoman later clarified that passengers were entitled to be re-booked on other flights or apply for a refund.

Perth man Darshan Patel, who had had been planning to go to Hobart on Saturday for his wife's birthday until their flight was cancelled, said the airline's response was not good enough.

He wants compensation for his flights and other non-refundable bookings, such as accommodation.

"We're really not happy because we've been planning for this holiday for quite a long time," Mr Patel said.

"Somebody is responsible for what is happening and there should be something done to help the passengers.

"We've booked everything well ahead, now it's getting cancelled. All our bookings are non-refundable. 

"It's just passengers who are suffering."

Flights diverted to regional airports

At least four flights were diverted to regional airports including a Philippines Airlines flight from Manila to Perth that landed in Geraldton earlier on Saturday.

Geraldton is about 420 kilometres north of Perth.

A Geraldton Airport spokesperson said the small regional airport could only assist with a handful of flights due to having limited fuel supply themselves. 

Passengers on the Philippines flight were not allowed to disembark and a biosecurity representative was on site. 

City of Geraldton chief executive Ross McKim said Geraldton Airport was in danger of running out of fuel after the Philippines flight took a quarter of the airport's fuel capacity.

"The [airport's] refuelling isn't booked until mid-next week so we're going to have to work out how to get some up sooner than that," he said.

Qantas flight QFA10 from London to Perth was diverted to Karratha, in the state's far north.

Other flights were diverted to Kalgoorlie, about 600km east of Perth.

Passenger sat on plane for hours

Perth man Campbell Grieves and Swiss exchange student Zander Goosen arrived at the airport early to catch a flight to Sydney.

"We were taking (Zander) to see all the classic Aussie things in Sydney … the bridge, the Opera House," Mr Grieves said.

"We get here at about 6am and we get on the plane, boarded alright, then we sat there in the little economy seat for two hours.

"The captain was ringing every in hour saying 'dunno where the fuel is,' eventually we get kicked off the plane and the flight is cancelled." 

Mr Grieves said he had been told the earliest he and Mr Goosen could travel to Sydney was Monday.

Perth resident Stephen Herbert is stranded in Doha, where he was meant to stop briefly en route from London to Perth on Qatar Airlines.

" We have been in a line with other returning Aussies for nearly four hours," he said.

"No official from Qatar Airlines has given us any updates and we are relying on social media.

"[There are] lots of tired and disgruntled people wanting answers."

He was scathing of Perth Airport over the delays.

"There's no way you can call Perth an international airport after this debacle. Imagine if this happened at Heathrow?" he said.

Another passenger in Doha, Rae de Wet, told the ABC a delay of more than 24 hours was expected before they could get back to Perth, but little information had been provided.

She said she had already been in transit for more than 30 hours since leaving South Africa.

"It is incomprehensible that an international airport could face an issue of this nature, embarrassing really especially on an international scale," she said.

At Sydney Airport, Perth man Steven Dipane said his son had been at a baseball tournament in Lismore and he was trying to head home.

"They're going to book us in to a room for the night, and then get us on a plane to Melbourne tomorrow and then to Perth.

"It just delays it. I would have liked to be home tonight." 

Dieter Spurgeon's family is currently in Darwin after their flight home from a family holiday to Perth was delayed over 36 hours.

"We've contacted both Qantas and Perth airport and neither seem willing to reimburse us for an extra night's stay in Darwin," he said.

He said communication by both the airport and airline has been "horrendous".

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