Train lines and Ports impacted by worldwide IT meltdown

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Largest IT shutdown Trains hit the same Ports face problems Caution before changing Check before you leave

Passengers at train stations and ports today are facing delays due to the IT outage
Credit: Shutterstock

Travel disruptions continue today after yesterday’s global software shutdown caused by the CrowdStrike.

Largest IT shutdown

The chaos comes after the world’s largest IT outage occurred yesterday, shutting down multiple industries for the majority of Friday.

Yesterday, more than 45,000 flights were delayed worldwide, and more than 5,000 were cancelled.

Due to a CrowdStrike update to its Falcon security software, Windows operating systems across the globe stopped working, with many showing the ‘blue screen of death’.

A reported 300 million computers worldwide were affected, and it is predicted it could take weeks for many to return to normal.

Trains hit the same

Today, the problems carry on, with train lines facing the same fate as airports.

Passengers at London Waterloo Station this morning are dealing with the same ‘blue screens’ when trying to buy tickets from the ticket machines.

At Paddington Station, another large London train station, ticket inspectors had to manually let passengers out of platforms after QR code scanners stopped working.

South Western Railway, a British train operating company, announced yesterday that the IT outage was having an impact on its ‘customer facing services’, stating that “Some retail systems and ticket machines at stations are down, but our train services are running well”.

Ports face problems

Today, Saturday, July 20, The Port of Dover, a cross-channel transport facilitator, announced this morning that it was dealing with ‘hundreds of displaced’ airport passengers due to the global IT outage, and urged customers to ensure they had a booking before arrival.

The port chief later reassured the displaced and disconcerted airport passengers, stating “we are here to service people who want to travel”, telling them to “come on down. We have the capacity”.

Although the chief, Doug Bannister, still expects a disordered day as he “is expecting 10,000 cars today”, 2,000 more than yesterday.

The effects are still very much noticeable at the Dover border with reported wait times of up to 120 minutes, and 30 minutes at check-in.

The Port of Dover also warned on X that roads approaching the port were “slow moving”, with a waitime of roughly 60-minutes.

With the Microsoft meltdown heavily affecting airlines and airports – leaving nearly 28,000 Brits today without flights – many Brits trying to go on holiday may look to choose trains or ferries.

Caution before changing

However, Kent County Council said, due to the outage, ferries and Le Shuttle will not take passengers without a book today, stating “If your start to the summer holidays has been impacted by the IT outage, you may be thinking of swapping a plane for a channel crossing.”

“But both the ferries out of Dover and Le Shuttle are not taking turn up passengers today.” Kent County Council added, urging holidayers to “please make a booking before heading to the port.”