Rail services withdrawn from today - how will it affect you?

Southern Trains have today suspended their weekday services between Milton Keynes Central and Clapham Junction.

The move comes as the firm axed hundreds of services as part of an amended timetable.

Fellow rail operator London Midland, which runs the route between Northampton and London Euston, will be stepping into the breach - but this may mean that some of its services are more full than before.

On affected days London Midland will be accepting ‘Southern only’ and ‘via Kensington Olympia’ tickets on its trains between London Euston and Milton Keynes Central.

London Midland is also adding extra stops on some services to reduce gaps in the timetable between certain stations, to make passengers’ journeys as simple as possible.

However trains are still expected to be busier than normal, in particular London-bound services that previously followed one of the Southern services.

Passengers are advised to plan their journeys in advance in order to ensure they reach their destinations on time. London Overground is also accepting Southern tickets via Watford Junction/Harrow & Wealdstone and Willesden Junction to/from Clapham Junction but many journeys will take longer than usual.

Steve Helfet, London Midland’s head of West Coast Services, said: “We are doing all we can to make journeys as simple as possible for those who regularly use Southern and for our existing passengers.

“I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to plan journeys in advance and to leave enough time to reach your destination. I would encourage passengers to plan your journey using the London Midland App, our website, or by asking a member of staff for assistance. ”

He added, “We will be reviewing our arrangements when the amended timetable starts next week, to ensure they are working in the best interests of our passengers.”