A nationwide fault with the UK’s GSMR radio system has caused significant disruptions across multiple rail lines on Friday morning, affecting commuters traveling throughout the country.
National Rail confirmed the issue, which involves communication between train drivers and signallers, impacting services on at least nine major rail routes.
The disruption has particularly affected the Elizabeth line, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Northern, ScotRail, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway, and Thameslink services.
This has led to delays at major transport hubs, including London Paddington, Manchester Piccadilly, and Southampton Central, with some trains experiencing delays of up to an hour.
National Rail advised passengers to expect delays of 10-15 minutes, with the possibility of short-notice cancellations.
Travel expert Simon Calder warned commuters to “hope for the best but be prepared for delays and disruption,” describing the morning rush hour as “miserable” for many.
The problem stems from the GSMR (Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway) system, which is used for emergency communication between train drivers and control centres.
This digital system ensures communication in areas where previous analogue systems failed, such as tunnels. However, a fault with the newly installed hardware at a telecommunications node in Stoke has disrupted this service.
Engineers identified the issue and are currently working to resolve it, with a reboot of the system underway and new hardware being installed.
In the meantime, a backup system is being used, allowing staff to manually reconnect communications. Though this is a well-rehearsed procedure, it takes time to implement, leading to delays.
Despite the disruptions, Network Rail has emphasized that no safety-critical issues have arisen, and the trains are still operating with a workaround to ensure passenger safety.
Once the system is fully operational, the delays should be minimal, although the impact on passengers is expected to continue until the fault is completely resolved.
The fault has caused particular challenges for services at the start and end of the day, where delays have been most noticeable.
For example, the Gatwick Express, which usually connects London Victoria with Gatwick Airport, was initially only running between London Victoria and the airport, omitting the Brighton route.
Similarly, South Western Railway services from Brighton to Southampton Central were rerouted, operating only to Bognor Regis or Chichester.
While the issue has mostly been resolved on ScotRail, which reported no further disruptions after its initial delays, some services remain impacted. The Elizabeth line across London also saw delays, as did Heathrow Express trains between Reading and Heathrow Airport.
National Rail has reassured affected passengers that they may be entitled to compensation if their journeys are delayed by more than 30 minutes. In the meantime, travellers are urged to check live updates for real-time information about their specific services.
Although engineers work to resolve the issue, the disruptions highlight the ongoing challenges faced by the UK rail network.
The GSMR system is a crucial part of ensuring efficient communication across the railways, and this fault serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of even advanced technological systems in maintaining smooth operations.
