Commuters at London Euston have been left stranded as a points failure halts all lines between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes Central – this is a breaking news story
08:16, 16 Feb 2026Updated 12:39, 16 Feb 2026
Passengers are warned to expect delays(Image: PA)
Chaos has erupted this morning as travellers at a major UK station find themselves stranded. Services at London Euston have been blocked after all lines between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes Central ground to a complete standstill.
The points failure is wreaking havoc on routes to several crucial stations including Liverpool Lime Street and Birmingham New Street. In a social media post, National Rail said delays between Milton Keynes Central and Watford Junction are expected until 9pm.
In an update at 5:21am, London Northwestern Railway confirmed a points failure between Tring and Watford. Several routes are expected to be delayed, cancelled or revised. These includes trains to Wolverhampton, Liverpool Lime Street, Birmingham New Street and Crewe.
The failure has affected many key routes(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
It said “services may be cancelled or delayed” going into and out of Euston and added that tickets for Overground services between Watford Junction and Euston would be accepted.
Despite warning of disruption until 9pm on social media, the National Rail website still says delays are expected until 12pm.
In an update, it said: “A points failure at between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes Central means that some lines are blocked. As a result trains running between these stations may be cancelled or revised.
“Disruption is expected until [12pm].”
London Northwestern Railway confirmed a points failure between Tring and Watford (stock)(Image: @Cllr Ian Stotesbury)
Full list of the affected routes:
Avanti West Coast between London Euston and the following stations:
- Birmingham New Street
- Wolverhampton
- Crewe
- Liverpool Lime Street
- Stockport
- Holyhead
- Chester
- Preston
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow Central
London Northwestern Railway between London Euston and the following stations:
- Bletchley
- Milton Keynes Central
- Northampton
- Coventry
- Birmingham New Street
- Crewe
UPDATE: The disruption caused by a points failure has now come to an end, according to an update from National Rail.
“Disruption caused by a points failure between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes Central has now ended,” National Rail said.