Disruption of train services in north London amid IT outage

Some Great Northern and Thameslink trains are canceled after a global IT software failure

Global IT systems problems caused by a cyber security company’s botched software update are causing train cancellations on some north London routes today (Friday 19).

Great Northern and Thameslink services via Barnet, Enfield and Haringey, which are part of the Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), have been affected since this morning, with around half of services cancelled.

London Overground and London Underground both appear to be unaffected and although Greater Anglia says some of its stations are affected, there were no signs of trains being delayed on the West Anglia route via Tottenham and East Enfield.

GTR said in a statement: “We are currently experiencing widespread IT issues across our network. Our IT teams are actively investigating to determine the root cause of the issue.

“We are unable to access driver charts at certain locations, leading to potential cancellations at short notice, particularly on the Thameslink and Great Northern networks. In addition, other key systems are affected, including our real-time customer information platforms.

“We will provide further updates when we can. In the meantime, please check your travel regularly before you travel.”

Greater Anglia said in its statement: “We are aware of the massive IT disruption. Some of our stations are affected by this and it is being investigated with great importance. Station staff will be aware and able to help. If you have any questions, we are happy to help. As soon as we have an update, we will let you know.”

Meanwhile, the NHS was also disrupted. But in a statement North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust said: “We are investigating the impact of the global IT outage on our systems here at North Mid. Currently, most of our systems and services are operating normally.”

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