Fire near Euston station sparks major disruption to UK rail services
A fire at a former station building near London Euston on Friday caused major disruption to rail services between the capital and several other cities.
The West Coast Main Line is closed between London Euston and Watford Junction due to a fire at the site in Camden, north London.
Due to the fire that broke out in the building used as a commercial building, thousands of passengers traveling to and from cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow faced cancellations and delays of up to one hour.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it was first alerted to the fire at 9.31am on Friday. 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters were sent to the scene on Regent’s Park Road.
It was stated that there were no injuries in the fire and the cause of the fire was being investigated.
A woman living close to the scene said: Independent: “The roof of the building is now burned. It was under heavy smoke at times and visibility was limited.”
The fire caused disruption to Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway, London Overground and Southern services.
It has been reported that Avanti West Coast’s services to London operate from stations as far as Warrington, Cheshire.
Affected passengers have been able to use their tickets on certain alternative routes and may be entitled to compensation.
Services have resumed mostly for London Northwestern Railway and Southern services.
Disruptions to Avanti West Coast services are expected to last until the end of the day on Friday. London Overground’s Mildmay line is experiencing serious delays.
In the statement made on the National Rail website, the following statements were made: “The fire brigade dealing with the incident that occurred near the railway between London Euston and Watford Junction means that some lines are blocked.
“As a result, trains running between Clapham Junction/London Euston and Watford Junction, Richmond/Clapham Junction and Stratford (London) as well as between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside may be cancelled, experience significant delays of up to 60 minutes or be revised.”
It added that the fire had “interrupted railway power supply” on all routes between London Euston and Wembley Central.
A statement from LFB said: “Ten fire trucks and approximately 70 firefighters are responding to a fire on Regent’s Park Road in Chalk Farm. A single-storey commercial building is on fire. Many of the neighboring properties are also on fire.”
“Adelaide Road is closed between Winchester Road and Haverstock Hill. Please avoid the area while the incident is ongoing.
“Due to the fire’s proximity to the railway, there may be delays or cancellations on some lines between London Euston and Watford Junction. Visit National Rail for more information.
“One of the Brigade’s 32-metre spiral ladders was used at the scene to attack the fire from above. Control Officers received the first of several calls at 09.31am and activated crews from Kentish Town, Holloway and West Hampstead fire stations. to the scene.
“The cause of the fire is not yet known”
