South Western Railway warns passengers after major Waterloo disruption
South Western Railway has issued a clear travel warning after a major signalling failure at London Waterloo brought large parts of its network to a standstill. The disruption has left passengers facing uncertainty and significantly reduced services, with the operator urging people not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
In a statement this morning, South Western Railway said very few trains were able to run in and out of Waterloo because signalling problems had taken 14 platforms out of use, leaving staff and trains displaced across the network. The company confirmed that while engineers were working to resolve the issue, capacity remained severely restricted and even if services return later in the day, they are likely to be heavily delayed or altered.
“While we are hoping to restore some services later in the day, these are still likely to be subject to delays and alterations,” a spokesperson said. “Customers should please check back for updates. We are very sorry for the disruption to journeys this morning.”
For many passengers, the advice has been clear: avoid travel if you can. South Western Railway has published live updates on its website and is encouraging customers to check before setting out. You can find live service information via National Rail or by visiting the South Western Railway updates page.
Those who still need to travel are being told to expect longer journeys and to consider alternative routes, particularly on other rail operators or transport modes where possible. The disruption is already having knock-on effects well beyond central London, with reports of crowded services and extended waiting times across the wider network.
Waterloo, one of the UK’s busiest stations, sees hundreds of thousands of journeys every day, so a signalling failure on this scale inevitably has a significant ripple effect. Internal teams are currently working on plans to reposition trains and crews for later services, but the priority is to restore safe signalling before normal operations can resume.
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