Passengers faced long delays yesterday as a train blocked a main railway line.

The train ground to a halt at Balcombe station on the Brighton to Victoria line at 11am and could not be moved until 2.40pm.

A spokeswoman for train operator Southern said: "The line was closed to trains running in both directions.

"A third line was open to trains running either way on a single track, so although there were delays there were still trains running."

At around 2pm the third track had to be closed as well and bus replacement services were brought in to ferry passengers hit by the closure.

Passengers waiting at Victoria were told trains had been cancelled due to a power failure at Haywards Heath but last night the spokeswoman said the cause of the train stoppage was still being investigated by Southern Railways and Network Rail.