Bridge Damage Shuts All Lines Through Purley As Rail Disruption Hits Southern And Thameslink

Rail passengers travelling through the Purley area are facing major disruption after structural damage was found on a bridge, forcing all lines through the station to close.

The problem has added to existing disruption in the area, with planned engineering work already reducing the number of tracks available over the weekend. Following the discovery of the bridge damage, trains are currently unable to run to, from or through Purley until Network Rail engineers have inspected the site.

Urgent repair work is now needed, with services through the station either being cancelled or revised while the lines remain blocked.

The closure is causing severe disruption to Southern and Thameslink services serving the Purley area. Passengers are being advised to check before travelling and to use the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner for the latest updates.

Alternative ticket acceptance has been put in place on local buses and trams, as well as on South Western Railway services between Epsom and London Waterloo.

Major disruption is expected to continue until 16.00.