UK train companies affected by massive IT outage

It has affected commuters this morning

The incident which occurred this morning has grounded flights across the world, has caused some media companies such as Sky to go off air and affected banks.

In a statement issued by National Rail they said that IT issues were affecting a number of services this morning.

National Rail said: “There are currently widespread IT issues across the entire network.”

“IT teams are investigating to determine the root cause of the problem.

“As a result, some train operators are unable to access driver diagrams at certain locations, leading to potential short-notice train cancellations.

“Additional, other key systems including real-time customer information platforms, are also affected.”

A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group said: “Train operators have been affected by ongoing global IT issues which may result in some short notice service changes and cancellations, also impacting real-time information screens and services at stations. We are sorry for any customers experiencing disruption to their journeys today; staff are working hard to resolve the issues as soon as possible.

“Most trains are still running across the country and rail staff will be able to provide the latest information to customers in person. You can also visit the National Rail Enquiries website for the latest updates.”

‼️Network wide IT issues affecting a number of train operators services this morning #ITIssues

ℹ️As a result, some train operators are unable to access driver diagrams at certain locations, leading to potential short-notice train cancellations. Additionally, other key systems,…

— National Rail (@nationalrailenq) July 19, 2024

Reports suggest the cause of the incident to be a cybersecurity company called Crowdstrike, which produces antivirus software.

A software update is said to have gone horribly wrong and is bricking Windows devices prompting the so called ‘blue screen of death’.

Meanwhile Microsoft has said it is taking “mitigation actions” after being hit by issues, according to AFP.

The company says it is investigating issues with its cloud services, and that several of its apps and services have been hit by an issue.