Rail fire causes commuter chaos

The fire started at a workshop under railway arches

Thousands of rail passengers faced severe disruption to their journeys home after a fire shut lines in and out of London Bridge station.

One man was injured when the blaze started in Bermondsey, south London, on Wednesday.

An exclusion zone was set up as three cylinders inside the workshop were cooled, and it is expected to remain in place until Thursday afternoon.

Cannon Street, Victoria overground and Waterloo East have also been affected.

At its height up to 40 firefighters tackled the fire which started in railway arches in Blue Anchor Lane at about 1000 BST.

The incident, about three miles from London Bridge, took place underneath the rail line to the station.

A man working in the car workshop was taken to hospital but is not thought to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

A 200m cordon was not expected to be lifted until 1500 BST on Thursday.

St James's Road was closed and up to 50 people were moved to safety when their homes were evacuated.

Southeastern, Southern and First Capital Connect services to London Bridge, Cannon Street, Charing Cross and Waterloo East have all been affected.

Entrances at Victoria Station were closed to control crowds

Transport for London said free buses were running from London Bridge and valid train tickets would be accepted, but road closures were causing delays.

Victoria overground station was closed and entrances to the station shut as a "crowd control measure". It has now been partially reopened.

Passengers were warned to expect delays and cancellations for the next 24 hours and to check before travelling in and out of London.

Office manager Joy Hutchinson, 54, had been diverted from London Bridge and was trying to get home to Orpington, Kent.

"There is nothing we can do," she said. "We just have to stand here and wait. We can't hear the announcements back here anyway because we are too far away."

Drivers are advised to avoid the area near Blue Anchor Lane because it is heavily congested and are being told to expect delays.

British Transport police said it was sending extra officers to affected stations to control crowds as commuters attempt to make their way home.