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View offers Hi {{fullName}} * My Independent Premium * Account details * Help centre * Logout (BUTTON) Workers at the landslide near Watford Junction station which has caused a train to be derailed ( PA ) Weather chaos across UK exposes an unforgiving and out-of-date railway system British trains rely on the skeleton of a Victorian network – and signalling that is stuck in the 20th century * Simon Calder Travel Correspondent * @SimonCalder * Friday 16 September 2016 09:41 {{^moreThanTen}} * {{total}} comments {{/moreThanTen}} * Friday morning’s rush hour degenerated into hours of stop-start frustration on the main railways connecting London with the Midlands, North West and the West of England, as well as many commuter lines to and from the capital. The most serious issue has been the landslide on the tracks at Watford, which disrupted the West Coast main line – the busiest inter-city railway in Europe. Trains that normally run at 125mph as frequently as every three minutes were reduced to a crawl, slotting in with stopping services on the two tracks that remain open. Passengers were urged to travel on alternative services, putting pressure on Chiltern, East Midlands and Virgin Trains East Coast on the busiest day of the week. Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines (BUTTON) Download now Read more * Read more London Midland train derails near Watford Junction after landslide In the absence of HS2, the proposed high-speed link from London to the Midlands and North West, Britain’s railways rely upon the skeleton of a Victorian network – and signalling that is stuck in the 20th century. Trains between Reading and London were delayed after lightning damaged signalling equipment near Slough. Unlike many European countries, trains in the UK rely upon “lights on sticks”, as the system is disparagingly known. While digital signalling direct to the driver’s cab is widespread in Europe, the only line on which it is used in Britain is HS1, the high-speed railway from London St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel. Created with Sketch. The landslide near Watford Junction - in pictures Show all 6 Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. (BUTTON) Created with Sketch. The landslide near Watford Junction - in pictures 1/6 The landslide near Watford Junction station which has caused a train to be derailed PA 2/6 Operators said the train was struck by another service after hitting the landslide during torrential rain and thunderstorms in the area PA 3/6 British Transport Police said officers were called to reports of a landslide at the Hunton Bridge Tunnel near Watford and were working with fire and ambulance services at the scene PA 4/6 There were no reports of any injuries after the 6.19 London Midland service from Milton Keynes to London Euston came off the track at around 7am PA 5/6 Workers at the landslide near Watford Junction PA 6/6 Workers at the landslide near Watford Junction station which has caused a train to be derailed PA 1/6 The landslide near Watford Junction station which has caused a train to be derailed PA 2/6 Operators said the train was struck by another service after hitting the landslide during torrential rain and thunderstorms in the area PA 3/6 British Transport Police said officers were called to reports of a landslide at the Hunton Bridge Tunnel near Watford and were working with fire and ambulance services at the scene PA 4/6 There were no reports of any injuries after the 6.19 London Midland service from Milton Keynes to London Euston came off the track at around 7am PA 5/6 Workers at the landslide near Watford Junction PA 6/6 Workers at the landslide near Watford Junction station which has caused a train to be derailed PA A lightning strike on signalling equipment in Hertfordshire shut down the Stansted Express and put paid to thousands of travellers’ plans. Abellio Greater Anglia, the train operator, advised people not to travel, saying “Your ticket will be valid on this route tomorrow.” Passengers flying from Britain’s fourth-busiest airport will not find their airlines so accommodating. No transport system can be 100 per cent reliable, but events such as the severe weather in South East England overnight reveal the profound lack of any slack in the system. More about Travel | British Rail | rail travel | Watford | UK weather | HS2 | Show{{#moreThan3_total}} {{value_total}} {{/moreThan3_total}} comments INDY/GO newsletter Time to Travel! ____________________ Enter your email address (BUTTON) Continue (BUTTON) Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. 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