Trains on a line through Watford will be unable to run for hours today after a fault.

At around 12pm, National Rail and London Northwestern Railway confirmed that the Abbey Line had stopped operating.

“No trains between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey expected until approximately 3pm,” National Rail added.

This is due to a fault on a train.

Ticket acceptance is in place allowing Abbey Line tickets to be used on Arriva’s Sapphire 321 bus between Watford Junction and St Albans City station as well as Thameslink trains between London St Pancras International and St Albans.

Update:

Replacement buses have apparently been requested but have not been confirmed.

Earlier this month, Hertfordshire County Council’s highways and transport cabinet panel was presented with data showing there had been around 741 unplanned cancellations on the line last year.

Executive member for highways and transport Cllr Phil Bibby announced that he would write “a strongly worded letter” to the Transport Minister, to “express our concerns about the service”.