London Victoria disruption: Commuters warned to avoid station after trains cancelled following lineside fires

Three fires blocked lines between Clapham Junction and London Victoria
Southern Rail
Megan White7 August 2019

Major disruption is expected this morning after three line-side fires near Battersea Park affected trains to London Victoria.

Southern Rail advised passengers to avoid the station, one of London’s busiest, as they expected delays of up to 60 minutes and cancellations.

Gatwick Express services are suspended, as are trains from Victoria to Dorking, London Bridge and Epsom.

Disruption is expected to continue until 2.30pm, with the rail operator advising passengers to travel to London Bridge instead.

Fuming travellers were left struggling to make flights amid the disruption.

BBC presenter Tim Willcox said passengers were "seething" as he endured a "nightmare" start to a planned short break in Nice, France, with his wife Najah.

They were stranded on the 5.30am Gatwick Express for 20 minutes outside Victoria, put on another train which was also cancelled, and missed their 7.25am flight.

Mr Willcox said: "Most flights are now either fully booked or have shot up in price or involve stopovers.

"I'm now on a bus, It's just proving a bloody nightmare. I can't afford to spend £1,000 on two flights.

"We've got car hire waiting, a hotel booked. We're now looking at flying to Paris and then flying from Paris to Nice.

"There was a complete lack of communication from Gatwick Express, there was a very rude staff member who just wouldn't answer questions. People were seething."

Louisa Poulsen said she jumped in a taxi to Gatwick for her flight to Rome after her train was cancelled and has been set back an extra £115 so far.

She said: "I have a wedding to get to, so this just isn't a case of postponing a weekend away.

"I think I'll just have to get the next flight out of Gatwick but honestly it's a lot of extra cash to cover before I get to claim insurance."

In a statement, National Rail added that commuters should also avoid travelling to or from Clapham Junction.

They said: "In the early hours of this morning Southern received reports from a driver on a passing train of a line side fire between London Victoria and Clapham Junction.

"Emergency services and Network Rail assistance was requested, Network Rail Quick Response team arrived on site at approximately 5.50am, after carrying out initial investigation they have requested a full block of all 4 running lines and a emergency power switch off.

"Emergency services arrived on site shortly after 6am and were dealing with the situation. As of 7.51am all 4 lines have been reopened and services will begin to run through the affected area."

Tickets can be used on other operators’ services, including Thameslink between Brighton and Blackfriars, Southeastern between Hastings and London and South Western Railway services to Waterloo.

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