Major disruption after fire breaks out on tracks near Brockley station

A fire on the railway tracks in Brockley has shut all lines in the area, causing major disruption across South London.

The blaze, next to the track near Brockley railway station, brought trains to a standstill between Sydenham and New Cross Gate this morning.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) crews were called to the scene at around 4am and safely distinguished the fire.

But, network rail said there has been significant damage to signalling cables – which are critical for the safe running of the railway.

Until the damage is repaired there will be significant delays, with short notice cancellations and diverted trains expected until the end of today.

London Overground services are only running between New Cross Gate and Highbury & Islington.

Meanwhile Southern and Thameslink services running through the area may be cancelled or diverted to and from London Victoria.

Chris Fowler, joint network operations director for Network Rail and train operators Thameslink and Southern, said: “We’re incredibly sorry for the disruption passengers are experiencing today after a trackside fire near Brockley station.

“In the meantime, Thameslink, Southern and London Overground are working to reintroduce some trains through the affected area to help passengers with their onward journeys but these trains will have to stop later to allow engineers to access the track safely.

“Please keep checking the live travel updates from Thameslink, Southern and TfL for the latest passenger information and advice.”

Pictured top: The fire on the railway tracks in Brockley (Picture: Network Rail)