Commuters and travellers faced significant disruption on Friday afternoon after a major signalling fault brought services to and from one of London's busiest stations to a standstill.
Widespread Cancellations and Severe Delays
The technical issue, which occurred at St Albans City on Friday, January 17, 2026, has severely impacted the main line into London St Pancras International. National Rail confirmed that trains are being held at red signals in both directions, with drivers receiving verbal instructions to proceed cautiously through the affected section.
This manual process is causing significant knock-on effects. Passengers are experiencing delays of up to 45 minutes, with many services being cancelled or heavily revised. The disruption is expected to continue until at least 4pm today.
Multiple Rail Operators Affected
The fault has created a ripple effect across several key routes. East Midlands Railway services connecting Sheffield, Nottingham, and Corby with London have all been disrupted. Furthermore, Thameslink services on its core routes—including those between Bedford, East Croydon, Luton, and Rainham—are also facing major alterations and cancellations.
The area between the major London terminus and Luton is particularly congested, with all services through that corridor suffering.
Investigation and Passenger Advice
In an official statement, National Rail said: “Network Rail response staff are investigating as quickly as possible, and we are monitoring progress updates.” The need for manual signalling is the root cause of the extensive delays, as it is a much slower process than the automated system.
Passengers are strongly advised to check the latest travel updates with their train operator before setting out and to allow considerable extra time for any journeys involving London St Pancras International this afternoon.
