Emergency fix works at Forest Hill, the second such incident in a month, caused Thameslink, Southern and London Overground services in south-east London to be delayed or cancelled on Thursday morning.
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Network Rail are now making repairs to the site and trains are being diverted, cut short or cancelled until the end of service today.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “At around 3am this morning we were alerted to a small hole, around 30cm across, which appeared on the railway in the Forest Hill area”.
Parody Twitter accounts have been set up for two sink holes which have caused major problems for trains travelling to and from London.
Engineers are now working at the site to fix the problem, which could take several hours.
Network Rail said Thursday’s hole was at the site of the previous one, which had been filled in.
London Overground services are unable to run between New Cross Gate, Crystal Palace and West Croydon.
Lines running into London Bridge station were closed “as a safety measure” and services cancelled after the discovery of the 30cm hole at Forest Hill.
Get Surrey reported that Thameslink services between Brighton and Gatwick Airport were running but commuters from Redhill, Merstham and Coulsdon South were unable to reach London Bridge on other Thameslink services.
A Southern spokesman said: “Some services have been cancelled”.
Commuters were initially warned the disruption could last until 6pm, but have now been told it will last the rest of the day. The larger hole, which also led to severe disruption and track closures last month, was caused by a sewer collapse on July 18.
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“What with the engineering works on the Overground and now the sinkhole issue again, it makes for a stressful commute”.
