A fire near the tracks at Stratford station has caused major disruption for passengers across London, with urgent repair work expected to continue until early Monday. Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters tackled the blaze on Friday, which involved trees and shrubbery beside the railway line. Services were brought to a standstill, and approximately 1,400 passengers were evacuated from trains as debris fell from the sky.
Damage and Repairs
Network Rail engineers have assessed the damage and are working as quickly as possible to repair the damaged infrastructure and restore signalling and telecoms equipment. A spokesperson for Network Rail said: 'Network Rail engineers have assessed the damage and are working as quickly as possible to repair the damaged infrastructure and restore the signalling and telecoms equipment back to normal.' The disruption is expected to last until 6am on Monday.
Affected Services
Passengers are advised to avoid travelling through Stratford if possible and to check before setting out. The following services are affected:
- Elizabeth Line: Services can now run through, but passengers face cancellations, alterations, and delays. Minor delays are reported between Whitechapel and Shenfield.
- Greater Anglia: Services through Stratford are severely disrupted on all routes. Passengers are urged to check before travel.
- London Overground: Severe delays on the Mildmay line, with part suspension between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction.
Passenger Impact
Footage from the scene showed passengers running to safety as debris fell from the sky. A reduced number of Greater Anglia trains can run via Stratford, and those that do are expected to be busier than usual. Passengers are advised to check the National Rail website and app for the latest updates.
