Thameslink passengers stuck for hours after electrical fault causes transport chaos

Thameslink passengers have been left facing lengthy delays due to a major power outage between two London stations, with many commuters stuck for hours.

Issues were first reported at around 8pm due to an electric failure between London St Pancras and West Hampstead, with lines in both directions blocked.

Passengers have shared images on X, formerly known as Twitter, of their train carriages falling into darkness with some complaining that they had been waiting to be evacuated for over three hours.

A Thameslink spokesperson said: "If your train has come to a stand in between stations, please remain on board and do not attempt to leave the train unless directed to by a member of staff.

"We know where you are and we are working to get you on the move again shortly."

The latest customer advice is that any Thameslink customer who has not yet started their journey should delay travelling until tomorrow, as no trains are able to run between London Blackfriars and Kentish Town until further notice.

“If you are travelling now, we cannot guarantee you will be able to reach your destination, and any journey you take will take at least 60 minutes longer than usual and will include using alternative transport operators through the central London area,” the train operator said.

Taking to social media, one disgruntled passenger said: “Why hasn’t anyone helped the people on the stranded train just outside Kentish Town station? They have been stuck on it for three hours with barely any information.”

Another said: “Why didn’t you evacuate us earlier, I missed my flight because of this. Complete clowns and disgraceful.”

For anyone planning on travelling to Gatwick Airport, they are advised to travel to London Victoria and use an alternative Southern or Gatwick Express service from there.