Fire at Victoria Station prompts train delays for East Sussex commuters

Southern Railways is warning of delays of up to 50 minutes to journeys to the capital.

There was a fire in the undercarriage of a Gatwick Express train just before 7am this morning at the start of the rush hour. No-one was hurt as the London Fire Brigade sent two applicances to the station which was evacuated.

The BBC reported one commuter who saw flames and black smoke coming from the train.

“There was just a little bit of flames by the wheels,” Tom Edwards said.

“They put it out and then started chucking everybody out of the building. There was no panic. It could have got pretty bad if they hadn’t done something about it straight away.”

On its website, Southern Railways said that Victora Station had re-opened, but platforms 12 to 14 remain closed.

“Services to and from Victoria are subject to severe disruption, and may be delayed, diverted or cancelled at short notice,” they said. “Passengers should expect delays of up to 50 minutes.”

SouthEastern is accepting Southern tickets between London Bridge and Charing Cross. South West Trains is accepting Southern tickets between Clapham Junction and Waterloo. First Capital Connect will accept Southern tickets between East Croydon and London Bridge. LOROL will accept Southern tickets, and London Underground will accept Southern tickets on any reasonable route.