A major signalling problem at Waterloo has caused chaos for Kingston commuters this morning, with South Western Railway urging passengers to avoid travelling to and from the station.

The do not travel message has resulted in a significantly reduced service across a number of Waterloo lines, including Chessington South and Waterloo and Shepperton and Waterloo via Richmond.

Both routes currently have two services operating by the hour and Kingston passengers are urged to plan their routes before embarking on their morning commutes.

A signalling issue at Waterloo has caused major disruption for Kingston commuters this morning (Credit: SWR)

The disruption is expected to last until the end of the day.

Peter Williams, South Western Railway's Customer and Commercial Director, said: "We are very sorry for the disruption this morning. Due to a major signalling problem, which is still under investigation, we are advising customers not to attempt to travel to or from London Waterloo this morning.

"Disruption is expected to last until the end of the day, with significantly fewer services able to run on a very limited number of lines. While the problem is in the Waterloo area we do expect the wider network to be affected as trains and their crews will be displaced. 

"If you are travelling on the wider network please check before you travel using a journey planner. Once again we're sorry for the disruption."