A fire on two rail lines in Brockley caused major travel disruptions in South London yesterday morning.
Lines between Sydenham and New Cross Gate were suspended due to an alleged cable signalling failure, and significant damage was caused.
Flames erupted around 4am on September 17th, and emergency services and London Fire Brigade crews arrived at the scene soon after.
Repair works began at 6am, but London Overground’s Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction to Crystal Palace and the West Croydon route were significantly affected.
Cherelle Morris, who was commuting said: “This was very inconvenient, and I was over 45 minutes late to work.
“This was the only route I could take to work, and it was triple the time necessary, I am definitely annoyed.”
Thameslink, South Western Railway and other lines on London Overground also had extreme delays to their services.
Furthermore, trains to Victoria, Waterloo and the capital were hit with short notice cancellations and abrupt diversions, altering many passenger’s early morning journeys.
Other neighbouring lines have reported minor delays due to overcrowding and an increase of passengers finding alternative routes to their destinations.
These lines included the Northern line, Victoria line and London Trams heading towards outer and west Croydon.
Network Rail Kent & Sussex said: “Engineers have replaced, rewired and tested a number of cables that were damaged by the fire.”
It has also advised passengers to check before they travel and find alternative routes as the safety of the cables and signalling lines are important for the safe operation and management of the railway.
Travellers have expressed concerns about the ongoing and unpredictable disruptions that have occurred on TFL railway lines.
Photo credit: Emma Hackman
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