A 'small object' on the track followed by a signal failure caused havoc for passengers on the Central line this morning.
There were severe delays operating on the line adding to the everyday commuter chaos just after 6am on Friday (November 18).
Transport for London reported that the incident was caused by 'a small object' on the track at Lancaster Gate station, with passengers stuck in the carriages for around 20 minutes.
The incident part suspended services with no trains in service on the line between White City and Leytonstone stations.
This was reduced to no tubes running between White City and Liverpool Street stations for several hours, during the morning rush hour, followed by severe delays on the entire line.
A spokeswoman for TfL told getwestlondon: “A small obstruction took place at 6.10am this morning on the Central line at Lancaster Gate.
“The line was suspended between White City and Leytonstone.
“Passengers were stuck on the train for around 20 minutes.
“The line was suspended for longer due to full sweep of the area to check the track.”
The situation was made worse by a signal failure at North Acton station which led to no service between Ealing Broadway / West Ruislip and North Acton.
Minor delays were on a small section of the line in east London, with a good service on the rest of the line before 3pm.
Tickets are valid on local buses, Great Western Railway and Greater Anglia.
British Transport Police have been contacted for further information.
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Time to close blog
Some good news for the journey home from work tonight.
There are now minor delays only between Leytonstone and Epping.
A good service operates on the rest of the line following the earlier signal failure at North Acton and the 6am ‘small object’ on the track at Lancaster
To read the full story click here
That’s all from us. Have a good weekend.
Minor delays on parts of the line
There are still severe delays between Ealing Broadway / West Ruislip and White City and between Epping and Leytonstone.
However there are only minor delays on the rest of the line.
This is due to an earlier signal failure at North Acton station and a object on the tracks at Lancaster Gate station.
Lunchtime travel update
According to Transport for London’s updates severe delays remain on the Central line following the two incidents this morning; the object on the track at Lancaster Gate and signal failure at North Acton station.
Both these problems have been resolved but delays remain across the entire line.
Photo of crowded Central line tube station
This was the state of tube stations on the Central line this morning after a ‘small object’ on the tracks brought the line to a standstill.
Thanks to @SmartCitySam for this pic
Passengers were stuck on the train
Passengers were stuck on a train for at least 20 minutes after a Central line train hit a ‘small object’ on the track.
A spokeswoman for TfL told getwestlondon: “A small obstruction took place at 6.10am this morning on the Central line at Lancaster Gate.
“The line was suspended between White City and Leytonstone.
“Passengers were stuck on the train for around 20 minutes.
“The line was suspended for longer due to full sweep of the area to check the track.”
Currently there are still severe delays on the line.
Travel update
The service has been resumed with severe delays between Ealing Broadway and North Acton due to an earlier signal failure at North Acton station.
Severe delays also continue on the rest of the line due to ‘an obstruction’ on the track earlier at Lancaster Gate station.
People heading to Winter Wonderland or for a spot of Christmas shopping in the West End are urged to seek alternative routes.
TfL's Refund Rules
Transport for London (TfL) Refund Rules:
TfL offers refunds on a single fare journey delayed by 15 minutes or more on the tube for reasons within their control.
NO REFUNDS offered for delays when:
- A delay is caused by planned changes to a service or planned engineering work
- The delay is caused by something outside of their control including a security alert; customer incident; adverse weather and strike action.
Where can you use your ticket?
People using the London Underground to travel today and are affected by the Central line suspension and delays can use their tickets on other bus and rail services.
These include local buses, Great Western Railway, TfL Rail, Chiltern Railways and Greater Anglia.
Morning of chaos for Central line commuters
The Central line saga continues this morning with signal failures and obstruction on a track bringing services to a halt.
Here’s the latest on what we have so far on the Friday morning chaos:
http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/central-line-delays-part-suspension-12194632
Central line chaos continues for west Londoners
There is now no service being reported on the central line between North Acton and West Ruislip / Ealing Broadway.
This is due to a signal failure at North Acton.
Severe delays remain on the rest of the line due to earlier incident at Lancaster Gate station.
Uber
Is Uber taking advantage of the Central line chaos this morning.
One commuter says the taxi company is #pricesurging
Winter Wonderland
People heading out to Winter Wonderland which is due to open its doors today are likely to be affected by delays and very busy stations on the Central Line due to the earlier obstruction on the track.
Avoid using Bond Street or Marble Arch stations.
Alternative stations with access to the magical wonderland include Green Park, Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner, Paddington and Victoria.
Central Line severe delays
A not so happy start to Friday morning for people using the Central line.
There was a part suspension in place between White City and Liverpool Street stations due to an obstruction on the track.
There are now severe delays on the entire line.
The incident has been taking place since around 6.30am.
