Commuters and Christmas travellers face severe disruption on a major London rail route after a burst water pipe submerged tracks at a key station, with services not expected to return to normal until Christmas Eve.
Flooding Halts Key Commuter Route
A major burst pipe has caused extensive flooding at Rye House station, completely submerging the tracks on the busy West Anglia line towards London Liverpool Street. Dramatic photographs and video footage show water rushing into the station and covering the railway lines.
The incident has forced the complete closure of all lines at Rye House due to significant station damage. As a result, no trains are currently running between London Liverpool Street and Hertford East. National Rail has advised customers not to travel between Broxbourne and Hertford East until further notice.
Christmas Travel Plans Disrupted
The disruption is expected to last until the end of Christmas Eve, 24 December, causing significant inconvenience for those making festive journeys. Trains on the affected route are either being cancelled entirely or revised to run only between London Liverpool Street, Stratford and Broxbourne.
A rail replacement bus service is operating between Broxbourne and Hertford East, but passengers are being urged to use this only if their journey is absolutely necessary. Ticket holders may use their tickets on Great Northern services to and from Hertford North, or consider using other West Anglia main line stations or local bus services as alternatives.
Complex Clean-Up and Repair Operation
A National Rail spokesperson explained the scale of the challenge, stating: "The extensive impact of the ongoing flooding, the complexity of the task and time needed to stem the flow, the work then needed to clean up the affected area, and the subsequent repairs required to both rail infrastructure (track and signalling) and Rye House station, all mean it is expected to take a number of days to complete the necessary work and reintroduce the normal service."
The spokesperson confirmed that updates on repair progress and plans to restore the normal service will be provided. The incident, occurring just days before the Christmas holiday, underscores the vulnerability of critical transport infrastructure to unexpected events and the widespread impact such failures can have on travel plans across the capital and Home Counties.
