Fire near Euston station sparks major disruption to UK rail services

A fire at a former station building near London Euston caused major disruption to rail services between the capital and several other cities on Friday.

The West Coast Main Line was blocked between London Euston and Watford Junction because of the blaze at the premises in Camden, north London.

Thousands of passengers travelling to and from cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow faced cancellations and delays of up to one hour due to the fire, which broke out in the building, now being used as a commercial premises.

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London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it was first alerted to the fire at 9.31am on Friday. It sent 10 fire engines and about 70 firefighters to the scene on Regent’s Park Road.

It added that there were no reports of any injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

One woman, who lives near the scene, told The Independent: “The roof of the building has now burnt down. It’s been extremely smoky with limited visibility at times.”

The blaze caused disruption to Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway, London Overground and Southern services.

Avanti West Coast services to London were reportedly being held at stations as far as Warrington, Cheshire.

Affected passengers were able to use their tickets on certain alternative routes and may be entitled to compensation.

Services have mostly resumed 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. There are severe delays on the Mildmay line of the London Overground.

In a statement on its website, National Rail said: “The fire brigade dealing with an incident near the railway between London Euston and Watford Junction means that some lines are blocked.

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“As a result, trains running between Clapham Junction/London Euston and Watford Junction, between Richmond/Clapham Junction and Stratford (London) and also between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside may be cancelled, severely delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised”.

It added that the fire had “disrupted the power to the railway” on all routes between London Euston and Wembley Central.

A LFB statement said: “Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters are tackling a fire on Regent's Park Road in Chalk Farm. A single-storey commercial building is alight. Most of a neighbouring property is also alight.

“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, some lines between London Euston and Watford Junction are subject to delays or cancellation. Visit National Rail for further information.

“One of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders was used at the scene to help fight the fire from above. Control Officers took the first of multiple calls at 0931 and mobilised crews from Kentish Town, Holloway and West Hampstead fire stations to the scene.

“The cause of the fire is not yet known.”