Sinkholes on railway line cause travel chaos for Gatwick passengers

WorldTravel
15 Jun 2026 • 2:31 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Sinkholes on railway line cause travel chaos for Gatwick passengers

  • All train lines between Purley and East Croydon were closed on Sunday evening after Network Rail engineers discovered multiple sinkholes near a railway bridge during planned engineering work.
  • The closure caused significant disruption for holidaymakers travelling to and from Gatwick Airport, leading to long queues for replacement transport.
  • Gatwick Express advised customers not to travel, saying that it could not guarantee completion of journeys.
  • Thameslink confirmed that unused tickets from the affected day would be accepted the following day, Monday 15 June.
  • Engineers successfully plugged the sinkholes, allowing trains to run again, though disruption was expected to continue into the night.

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