A points failure is causing disruption at Waterloo Station
(Picture: PA)Commuters are facing further rail disruption on Monday morning with technical failures affecting two major London stations, on the first working weekday without major strike action this year.
A points failure at Waterloo Station has led to train cancellations, and an electricity supply issue at Charing Cross has caused some services to be delayed or diverted.
At least three South Western Railway (SWR) trains due to arrive at London Waterloo have been cancelled, due to “a problem under investigation at the depot”, according to travel updates.
Services from Windsor & Eton Riverside and Twickenham have been affected.
Train services running to and from Waterloo may be delayed, SWR has warned, and some lines are blocked.
Disruption is expected to last until the end of the day.
“We have been informed that there is a problem with a set of points at London Waterloo,” an update said on Monday. “Minor delays are expected.”
A set of points are the part of the track that can move, allowing the train to change direction and access different parts of the network.
An electricity supply failure between London Bridge and London Charing Cross has caused some services to be delayed or disrupted, and some will be diverted, Southeastern said.
Only three platforms, instead of six, are being used at Charing Cross due to the electricity issue.
Network Rail staff are on site and working to resolve the issues, the railway said in an update just before 8am. Tickets will be accepted on London Underground at no extra cost.
Further disruption comes after a “week of hell” of rail strikes that will have cost the capital’s economy an estimated £180 million, City economists warned on Friday.
RMT and Aslef union members took industrial action across the first week of January over pay and working conditions. Train drivers were offered a 8 per cent pay rise over two years by the Rail Delivery Group on Friday evening. Aslef is yet to respond to the offer.
Further strikes are planned for this week.
Workers on the Elizabeth Line will strike on Thursday January 12 in a dispute over pay and pensions, Prospect and the TSSA rail union announced.
Meanwhile bus drivers employed by Abellio in south and west London continue strike action. Days affected by bus strikes in January include 10, 12, 16, 19, 25, and 26.
The London Underground will not be involved in this week’s strikes, however, they could have a knock-on effect on TfL services.
The Government is pressing ahead with plans to introduce new legislation for “minimum safety levels” during industrial action.
A Bill will be introduced in Parliament in coming weeks to ensure vital public services maintain a “basic function” when workers go on strike. Minimum safety levels will be set for fire, ambulance and rail services and the Government said it will consult on the “adequate level of coverage”.
Ministers are due to meet with trade unions on Monday to try to bring an end to the wave of strike action across healthcare and transport sectors.
The Government has called on unions to cancel strikes while it holds talks and has argued that inflation-matching pay rises will only fuel further price increases and cause interest rates and mortgage payments to go up further.
Unions have said they will only call off strikes in the next few weeks if offers are made to resolve the disputes over this year’s pay settlement, while the Government wants to negotiate pay rises for next year.
