Commuters across east London faced major disruption on Friday morning after trespassers on the railway brought trains to a standstill at Goodmayes, with every line through the station blocked and services on Greater Anglia and the Elizabeth line thrown into chaos.
The incident unfolded during the morning rush hour, when reports of people on the tracks forced the power to the overhead electric wires to be switched off as a safety precaution. With all lines blocked, no trains were able to run between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield, one of the busiest commuter corridors into the capital.
Greater Anglia warned that trains running through the area would be delayed, cancelled or revised, with disruption expected until around 11.30am. Services on routes to and from London Liverpool Street were all affected, including trains serving Colchester Town, Clacton-on-Sea, Braintree, Southend Victoria, Ipswich and Norwich. Elizabeth line services through the area were also caught up in the disruption.
All lines blocked at Goodmayes
A spokesperson for Greater Anglia said the operator had been made aware of trespassers on the railway at Goodmayes, adding that the power in the overhead electric wires had been switched off and every line was blocked for safety reasons.
Response teams from Network Rail and officers from the British Transport Police attended the scene, working to remove those on the tracks so that services could be restored. Passengers were warned that residual delays were likely even after the lines were handed back.
The timing could hardly have been worse for commuters, with thousands of passengers attempting to reach the capital during the busiest part of the morning peak. Stations along the route reported crowded platforms as services were held or cancelled at short notice, and many travellers took to social media to share their frustration at the disruption.
Alternative routes for stranded passengers
To help people complete their journeys, Greater Anglia tickets were accepted on a number of alternative services. Passengers could use the Circle line between Liverpool Street and Tower Hill, the Jubilee line between Stratford and West Ham, and c2c services running between Fenchurch Street, West Ham and Southend Central.
Commuters were advised to check live departure boards before setting out and to allow considerably more time than usual for their journeys. Those travelling from stations along the affected corridor were urged to consider starting their journeys later in the morning if possible, as trains that did run were expected to be extremely busy.
A difficult morning for London’s railways
The Goodmayes incident compounded an already difficult morning on the capital’s railways. Our live coverage tracked the developing situation at Liverpool Street, where platforms were shut amid all-day disruption.
Separately, a train striking a buffer stop at Liverpool Street caused major delays for commuters, while a points failure at Parsons Green brought severe delays to the District line on Friday morning.
Compensation and a warning
Greater Anglia and Network Rail apologised to passengers for the disruption. Holders of advance purchase tickets were told they could travel on earlier or later trains if their booked service was cancelled, while anyone delayed by 15 minutes or more was encouraged to claim compensation through the Delay Repay scheme.
The operator also issued a stark reminder about the dangers of trespassing on the railway, describing it as illegal and extremely dangerous. Offenders can be taken to court and face fines of up to £1,000.
Passengers planning to travel through east London were advised to check before they travelled, with services expected to remain disrupted through the morning peak and knock-on delays continuing into the afternoon. Live travel updates from Greater Anglia and National Rail are expected to confirm when a full service has resumed on the affected routes.
