Commuters using the Thameslink line are set for a miserable journey home this evening due to chaos caused by a burst water main.

Deep flooding in a tunnel between Farringdon and St Pancras International has forced operator Govia to cut the number of trains running to almost a quarter of its normal rush hour service.

Some trains are passing through the tunnel where the 16 inch main has burst while Network Rail pumps out the water, but services remain heavily disrupted. It is understood that water company engineers need to isolate the leak without cutting off essential supplies to a nearby hospital.

Thameslink is urging commuters to travel home early where possible and use alternative means of travel.

Stuart Cheshire, Thameslink’s Passenger Service Director, said:

“We’ll do our very best to get people home tonight as quickly as possible but the burst water main is causing significant disruption. We’ve brought in buses and extra staff and we’re pushing out messages through all available means to encourage people to start home earlier if possible and to leave longer for their journeys.

“Passengers can claim compensation for the delays via our website thameslinkrailway.com/delayrepay.”

Thameslink plans to run services half hourly between Bedford and Brighton, and hourly services on the Wimbledon branch of the line. Sevenoaks-bound Thameslink services will start and terminate at London Blackfriars

Thameslink tickets will be accepted by all operators via reasonable routes – click here for further info