Rail travel was severely disrupted today as no Southeastern services currently operate between Tonbridge and Hastings due to a major power supply failure at Tunbridge Wells station. The disruption stems from a melted track component that has caused a complete power outage at the station.
Network Rail identified the issue as a melted “conductor pot” which is crucial for the electrical supply to the trains. The problem has necessitated the shutdown of power to the Southeastern trains, leading to widespread service interruptions along the Hastings line.
The outage was reported on social media platforms, where both Network Rail and Southeastern informed passengers about the disruption. Southeastern announced, “Because of a failure of the power supply at Tunbridge Wells, services on the Hastings Line are disrupted. No services can currently run via Tunbridge Wells, while staff work to restore the power supply.
As a result, replacement bus services have been arranged; however, there is currently no estimated time for when these buses will arrive. This uncertainty has left many passengers stranded and frustrated. One passenger at Tonbridge station expressed their dismay, saying, “I’m stuck at Tonbridge with over 100 passengers and no staff have any idea what is going on. Now in a queue for a bus to Tunbridge Wells but no confirmation on how to get back to Hastings.
Another passenger voiced their frustration over the lack of updates: “Some updates would be nice… I’m wondering if I will ever get home.”
Network Rail has assured travellers that they are working “as quickly as possible” to resolve the issue and restore full service. However, no specific timeframe for when the repairs would be completed and services resumed was provided at the time of the report.
Passengers are advised to check the latest travel updates from Southeastern and Network Rail and consider alternative travel arrangements where possible during this period of disruption.
