All lines have closed between London and Stevenage after a person was hit by a train, bringing severe disruption to routes into and out of the capital.
The incident happened this afternoon, on Wednesday 11 November. Trains may be cancelled, revised or delayed by up to 60 minutes for the rest of the day.
Six operators are affected: Grand Central, Great Northern, Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and Thameslink.
The closure is on the East Coast Main Line out of London King’s Cross, which carries long-distance services to the north as well as commuter trains into the capital. With every line shut, services in both directions are affected.
This is the third casualty on the tracks to hit London services today. Earlier, a person died after being hit by a train at Catford Bridge, closing the Hayes line, and a person died at Hanwell station, suspending Elizabeth line services. The condition of the person hit near Stevenage has not yet been confirmed.
It follows a similar incident on Monday, when a person was hit by a train between Peterborough and Huntingdon, closing Thameslink services into London. The person died, and lines reopened later that afternoon. On Tuesday, a person died after being hit by a train at Ashford station in Surrey, closing South Western Railway services between Feltham and Staines.
King’s Cross services were also disrupted yesterday after overhead wire damage at Northallerton, with LNER advising passengers not to travel.
Passengers planning to travel on the affected routes should check with their operator before setting off, and allow extra time for their journey. Anyone affected by the incident can call Samaritans on 116 123, free at any time.
Thameslink has now commented on the incident. In a statement, the operator said: “It is with great sadness that we report a person has been hit by a train between Welwyn Garden City and Alexandra Palace. All lines are blocked between these stations whilst the emergency services work to deal with this incident. Service information will follow.”
All lines between London and Stevenage have now reopened following the earlier incident, although trains may still be delayed by up to 60 minutes, revised or cancelled as services recover. Major disruption is expected to continue until the end of the day.
The person who was hit by the train has been taken to hospital. No further details about their condition have been released.
Updated: 11 November 2026 at 3.45pm
This is a developing story. Updates will be added to the live blog below as the situation changes.
Services on the Hayes line were suspended earlier today after a person was hit by a train at Catford Bridge, while Elizabeth line services were suspended after a casualty on the tracks at Hanwell. Thameslink services were shut on Monday after a person was hit by a train between Peterborough and Huntingdon, and King’s Cross services were disrupted yesterday after overhead wire damage at Northallerton.
