Issues at Basingstoke Yesterday Afternoon 18 Mar 2026

[kevin_roche]

I wonder if someone can enlighten me about the cause of the disruption on my journey from Waterloo to Basingstoke on 18-Mar-26.

I was on the 16:05 to Weymouth, and when we got to Woking, The train stopped for a while, we were told there was a points problem at Basingtsoke and we should get off and wait for a slow train. (1P73)

After waiting about half an hour at Woking, we were told it was a signalling problem, and the only route to Basingstoke was to take a train to Guildford then to Reading and then to Basingstoke. Quite a zig-zag!

When I eventually arrived in Basingstoke, everything seemed to have been fixed so maybe I should have waited longer in Woking?

Was the issue with points or signalling, and if so where?

 

[Bald Rick]

Track circuit failure at Basingstoke, which locked the route across the junction from Reading. Essentially nothing moved on the main line for just over a hour. Theproblem resolved itself (in my opinion, it was a temperature related failure).

Looks like you were unlucky, when you were advised to go via Guildford the problem was still there, but it resolved just after you left Woking, assuming you were on the 1655 from Woking to Guildford. If youd waited at Woking a bit longer, you’d have been direct to Basingstoke.

 

[James H]

Slightly later there was also an obstruction on the track at Shawford and a points failure at Southampton Central which added to delays on the SWML

Predictably, my train reached waterloo 14.5 minutes late so I just missed out on Delay Repay

 

[kevin_roche]

Looks like you were unlucky, when you were advised to go via Guildford the problem was still there, but it resolved just after you left Woking, assuming you were on the 1655 from Woking to Guildford. If youd waited at Woking a bit longer, you’d have been direct to Basingstoke.

Thanks. I suspected as much. I have applied for Delay Repay based on the >2 hours late I got to Basingstoke. My guess is they might query it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Mar 2026 ==

I made a note of the journey.

Train from Waterloo (1W73)
dep 16.05 planned arr 1647

Actual Woking arr 1634
Woking dep 1655 (1P51)
Guildford arr 1701
Guildford dep 1745 (1V57)
Reading arr 1832
dep 1907 (2J61)
B'stoke' arr 1943

 

[embers25]

Thanks. I suspected as much. I have applied for Delay Repay based on the >2 hours late I got to Basingstoke. My guess is they might query it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Mar 2026 ==

I made a note of the journey.

Train from Waterloo (1W73)
dep 16.05 planned arr 1647

Actual Woking arr 1634
Woking dep 1655 (1P51)
Guildford arr 1701
Guildford dep 1745 (1V57)
Reading arr 1832
dep 1907 (2J61)
B'stoke' arr 1943

If you arrived into Guildford at 1701, why didn't get the 1715 to Reading which didn't leave until 1720. That got in at 1804 which would have made the 1832 to Basingstoke arriving at 1900. Still over 2 hours late but 43 mins earlier.

With the benefit of hindsight, if you'd instead got on the 1646 to Exeter that was sitting waiting patiently on Platform 2 when you got on the 1655, you have got back at 1747...so really unlucky however you look at it!

 

[saismee]

The best rule of thumb when rerouting is to never check which option was quicker. At least you were moving

I doubt they wouldve suggested rerouting unless authorised by control. That's how it works on my TOC, so tbe delay repay should be accepted.

 

[kevin_roche]

If you arrived into Guildford at 1701, why didn't get the 1715 to Reading which didn't leave until 1720. That got in at 1804 which would have made the 1832 to Basingstoke arriving at 1900. Still over 2 hours late but 43 mins earlier.

I was listening to the announcements on Platform 8. I did not hear an announcement about a train at 17:15. At Guildford I had some difficulty getting access to Real Time Trains, so I did not know about it.

 

[Deepgreen]

Track circuit failure at Basingstoke, which locked the route across the junction from Reading. Essentially nothing moved on the main line for just over a hour. Theproblem resolved itself (in my opinion, it was a temperature related failure).

Looks like you were unlucky, when you were advised to go via Guildford the problem was still there, but it resolved just after you left Woking, assuming you were on the 1655 from Woking to Guildford. If youd waited at Woking a bit longer, you’d have been direct to Basingstoke.

I dread to think what will happen in the summer, then...

 

[Bald Rick]

I dread to think what will happen in the summer, then...

Diurnal temperature, rather than actual.