Gatwick Airport railway station reopens after fire under train
Firefighters said they were called to a ‘small fire’ which is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.
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Your support makes all the difference.A fire under a train temporarily closed Gatwick Airport railway station and led to the evacuation of all rail passengers into the south terminal.
Firefighters were called to the “small fire”, which is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, at 12.34pm on Monday, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said.
The train lines were closed but have since reopened, and trains could be delayed by up to 45 minutes or cancelled, National Rail’s website says.
The website also says Gatwick Express services are still suspended and there is a reduced service between Bedford and Three Bridges, with disruption expected to continue until 6pm.
A spokesman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 12.34pm we were alerted to a small fire involving a passenger train at Gatwick Railway Station, South Terminal.
“Crews from West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and Gatwick Fire & Rescue Service were sent to the scene.
“Upon arrival crews found that the undercarriage of the train had caught fire. Fortunately, it was quickly extinguished before spreading any further.
“The fire is believed to be of accidental ignition, caused by an electrical fault.
“All passengers were quickly escorted off the train and the railway station was evacuated at the time of the fire.
“There are no reports of any injuries.”
Teams are responding to the situation and passengers are advised to check before travelling
BBC5 Live presenter Clare McDonnell said she was on board the train which caught fire and saw “white flashes” on the outside of the carriage next to hers as it pulled in at Gatwick Airport station.
“Passengers on the platform ran away while smoke started coming into the carriage next to mine,” Ms McDonnell told the PA news agency.
“The fire, is under the train but I’m not sure at this stage if that’s where it started, white flashes and bangs, I think there were around three of them, went up the side of the carriage.
“As we were going up the stairs, staff were running down with fire extinguishers and telling people to get out of the way, but they were brilliant and people stayed calm.”
A spokesman for Govia Thameslink Railway which operates Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services, said: “Today, at around 12.30, we quickly and safely evacuated one of our Southern services at Gatwick Airport station after smoke was seen coming from underneath the train.
“The fire brigade extinguished a small fire believed to have been caused by an electrical fault and trains are stopping at the station again.
“We’re sincerely sorry to passengers held up as a result.
“Anyone whose journey has been delayed by 15 minutes or more can claim compensation at one of our websites.”