London Victoria derailment hits Gatwick Express and Southern trains
- Published
The train partly left the tracks at low speed outside Victoria station on Tuesday
An engineering train derailed in south London causing the closure of the Gatwick Express service.
The train partly left the tracks at low speed outside Victoria station at about 03:00 BST on Tuesday.
No Gatwick Express trains were running, while Southern warned its services would be "severely reduced".
The train was since moved and the track was assessed and repaired overnight, Southern said. A normal service is expected on Wednesday, it added.
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The 50-tonne train has been cut from its two wagons and been lifted back on the track
The train was stuck across a number of tracks meaning platforms nine to 13 at Victoria were blocked, while services were not able to use the "slow/stopping" lines to and from Clapham Junction.
Some trains were also unable to leave the Battersea depot - further reducing the number of services that could run.
Recovery teams cut the 50-tonne train from its two wagons and lifted it back on to the track using hydraulic jacks.
Engineers managed to remove the train from the tracks by 18:05
Trains running through Gatwick Airport were also disrupted by a separate signalling fault and a passenger who was injured as they left a carriage, which led to one platform becoming blocked.
Southern said the train was "obstructing a complex section of track on one of the busiest routes"
Some commuters took to social media as they found their trains had been cancelled.
Other stations, including London Bridge, also became congested as people tried to find alternative routes.
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