Rail passengers have been warned not to travel to King’s Cross station after dozens of trains to and from London were cancelled on Saturday.
They were advised to avoid the major transport hub as six major rail companies announced they had suspended or disrupted services for the afternoon and evening.
The disruption was caused by a problem with the overhead line between Stevenage and Hitchin and resulted in southbound trains being unable to reach the station.
This caused chaos for those travelling during the summer holidays or attending major events in the UK, including the Edinburgh Festival. It also happened on the first weekend of the English football league season, with 30 matches being played on Saturday.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) issued a travel warning after experiencing “more cancellations than usual”.
On X (formerly Twitter), LNER stated: “Due to significant disruption on our route, we are experiencing more cancellations than usual.
“Currently, it is recommended not to travel. We are offering a significantly reduced service and the current services are extremely busy.”
“Major disruption”
Work was carried out to repair the damage to the overhead lines.
A National Rail spokesman said: “The overhead lines between Stevenage and Hitchin were severely damaged last night. Engineers are working to repair the damage and three of four lines have now reopened.
“Trains between London and Cambridge/Peterborough may continue to be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or diverted.
“Significant disruption is expected until the end of the day.”
Six railway companies – Grand Central, Great Northern, Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and Thameslink – confirmed that their routes were affected by the disruption.
Some passengers had to wait for hours for their train or the trip was cancelled altogether.
Passengers took to social media to voice their anger over the delays. “Another weekend of delays and cancellations from King’s Cross,” wrote one user.
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