Euston fire: Chaos at London station after huge blaze involving gas cylinders

Station normally handles around 150,000 passengers on a Friday

Around 150,000 passengers planning to use one of Britain’s busiest railway stations today have been urged not to try to travel.

A huge fire involving gas cylinders broke out shortly before midnight at a timber yard beside the West Coast main line near Watford Junction.

Network Rail said: "The emergency services have worked through the night to control the blaze. The damage has been looked at by structural engineers and they have declared the building is currently unsafe for trains to run. Until the building has been made safe, trains will continue to be disrupted between Watford Junction and London Euston."

Caledonian Sleeper trains heading for Edinburgh and Glasgow were halted and returned to Euston. Southbound services from Inverness, Aberdeen and Fort William terminated at Preston, with passengers told to leave their rooms by 5am.

London Midland is advising its passengers not to travel between Milton Keynes and Euston today. A spokesperson for the train operator said: "While the emergency services are dealing with the fire it simply isn't possible to run trains through the area.”

A shuttle service stopping at every station between Euston and Watford Junction on London Overground is the only train running.

Changing tracks: leaflet handed out to Virgin Trains passengers with details of alternative routes to and from London Euston (Simon Calder)

Passengers are able to use their tickets on East Coast services, Cross Country, Great Western, East Midlands Trains and Chiltern Railways.

On the relatively empty concourse at Euston, the economist Justin Urquhart Stewart said: "I'm trying to get to Liverpool to give a talk on the state of the economy and the state of transport in Britain. This isn't very encouraging, really. I don't think I'm going to be able to get to Liverpool, and even if I do, I don't think I can get back."

(Simon Calder (Simon Calder)

Another disrupted passenger, Carol, said: "I"m trying to get to Manchester, but with technology I'll just go back to the office and use a video link.

"All the staff here have been marvellous but everyone's at a loss about what to do. As it's a Friday it'll be a bad day for everyone."