Rail services into and out of London Bridge station were severely disrupted on Tuesday evening and into Wednesday morning due to a large fire at a recycling plant in Deptford, south-east London. The blaze prompted the closure of multiple train lines on safety grounds.
More than 100 firefighters battled the fire, which broke out shortly before 8 p.m. near a busy railway line. Flames and thick plumes of dark smoke billowed from the recycling plant, visible across the city. National Rail announced that all lines between London Bridge, New Cross, and New Cross Gate stations were temporarily blocked.
Rail operator Southeastern advised passengers to avoid traveling to or from London Bridge, diverting all its services to other London terminals. Thameslink also reported delays of over 30 minutes for services between Blackfriars and East Croydon. The disruption led to an "uncontrolled evacuation of a train" between London Bridge and New Cross.
Network Rail warned that the disruption would likely continue until at least 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, raising concerns about morning commute delays. Passengers reported trains passing dangerously close to the inferno, with one individual describing smoke entering their carriage and feeling intense heat. Concerns were also raised about a burning timber sleeper on the tracks.
Firefighting crews from multiple stations responded to the incident. London Fire Brigade commander Duncan Rees stated that approximately 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were at the scene, utilizing turntable ladders as water towers. The brigade anticipated a "The brigade anticipated a protracted incident, with crews expected to remain on site through the night.
This is reportedly the second major fire at the Landmann Way site in recent months. A similar incident on June 8 also led to the closure of lines into and out of London Bridge, requiring the deployment of around 15 engines and over 100 firefighters.