Stratford station in London was temporarily closed on Friday evening after a fire broke out in an area of shrubbery near the railway tracks, causing major travel chaos for commuters. Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were called to the blaze, which sent thick smoke billowing into the sky, as seen in footage shared on social media.
Fire Brigade Response
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) confirmed they received the first of around 30 calls at 6.54pm, and crews were mobilised from Plaistow, Poplar, Ilford, Bethnal Green, and surrounding fire stations. As of 8.45pm, multiple seats of fire involving trees, shrubbery, and grass near the railway tracks remained alight, according to LFB. It is not yet clear whether the hot weather was responsible for the blaze.
Travel Disruption
Stratford station was evacuated and temporarily closed, triggering major disruption across TfL and National Rail services. The Elizabeth line, London Overground, and Greater Anglia services were affected for the remainder of the day. As of 9pm, the DLR and Jubilee lines were part suspended, while there were also major delays on other Underground lines. National Rail stated on their website: “A fire next to the track in the Stratford (London) area means all lines are closed. Trains running through this station will be cancelled or revised. Until lines reopen and trains in the area are able to move again services will also be severely delayed.”
Passengers Stranded
One passenger took to social media to say they were stranded on their way to a wedding, writing: “I’m sat on a Greater Anglia to Norwich and we are stuck on the tracks!” LFB said firefighters were assisting British Transport Police to safely decant passengers from several trains stopped near the station.
Firefighting Efforts
Station Commander Scott Thorpe, who is at the scene, said: "This fire is predominantly located within an area of grass and shrubbery that is surrounded on all sides by railway tracks. Crews are also working to extinguish other pockets of fire in around the station's sidings. The power to the railway tracks has been isolated and the Brigade is working closely with its partners in order to resolve this incident safely. Firefighters are making steady progress; however we expect crews to remain on scene for much of the evening."
The public have been advised to avoid the area while firefighters work to extinguish the fire.
