Commuters complained of “third world services” as one of the City's busiest stations was crippled during rush hour.
Passengers travelling from Fenchurch Street faced chaos as rail operator C2C reported major problems.
The firm said there were numerous cancellations from the station – one of the City’s major commuter hubs – after overhead wires were damaged between Dagenham Dock and Grays.
C2C said on its website that disruption was expected until 9pm, adding: “Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between London Fenchurch Street and Barking fewer trains are able to run on all lines.
“Greater Anglia, London Underground and Transport for London are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice. Arrangements have been made for c2c rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.”
The delays were also affecting other stations in east London and Essex served by C2C trains.
Transport for London also reported severe delays between Paddington and Hayes and Harlington due to a signal failure.
Great Western Railway was also hit by problems today between Paddington, Bristol, South Wales, Cheltenham and Worcester after the operator admitted it was “critically short of trains”.
There were also more delays on Thameslink and Great Northern services when taxis which take train drivers to work failed to turn up. Parent company GTR warned of service “alterations at short notice”.
Waterloo station chaos - in pictures
Commuters using mainline Waterloo services suffered their third successive day of disruption. Train company South Western last night warned commuters not to use the UK’s busiest station, tweeting: “If you have alternative routes that do not use London Waterloo station, we advise you to use those services.”
Incidents including a small electrical fire under a train between Surbiton and Weybridge, which blocked the lines away from London, resulted in trains being out of place for Wednesday’s service.
Weather-related speed limits — with trains down to just 20mph — also came into force from 11am between Waterloo and New Malden, and had a knock-on effect on other routes. The same restrictions will apply tomorrow and Friday. Slower trains reduce pressure on the tracks, which could buckle in the heat.
