Fire at Primrose Hill (near Euston) 30/01/26

[norbitonflyer]

Not sure i understand why the Mildmay Line is affected, unless part of it is powered from a subsation in that area. (Camden Road Junction is only about 1km from Primrose Hill)

Just noticed that the Mildmay Line is diverted tomorrow between cvamden Road and Willesden Junction to run via South Hampstead (no service Camden Road to Richmond or Shepherds Bush via West Hamsptead) which would allow soem arre track - but as that passes through Primrose Hill will that still happen?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Another old railway building lost! Shame.

 

[Dr_Paul]

I also noted that Richmond/Clapham Junction <> Stratford services have also been severely affected, along with services on the Goblin line. Real Train Times gives 'power supply problems' as the reason for the cancellations, although later on 'a fire' is given as the reason. Is it that the fire has affected the power supply to these lines as well as the lines actually adjacent to the fire?

 

[RailwayRookie]

so I wonder if it was already closed.

They posted on soicals in October that they were going to close and posted not long after about their grand opening elsewhere.

 

[Russel]

the BBC article says



so I wonder if it was already closed.

Ah yeah maybe, I assumed someone was just very quick off the mark to update Google Maps!

 

[t0ffeeman]

Anyone know why the Mildmay and Suffragette (NLL/GOBLIN) overground services are suspended and Bakerloo line severely delayed? Trains stuck in the wrong place?

staff book on at Euston!!

 

[P156KWJ]

I also noted that Richmond/Clapham Junction <> Stratford services have also been severely affected, along with services on the Goblin line. Real Train Times gives 'power supply problems' as the reason for the cancellations, although later on 'a fire' is given as the reason. Is it that the fire has affected the power supply to these lines as well as the lines actually adjacent to the fire?

There was initially a huge area that ended up tripping, then required isolation for the fire to be tackled. Eventually things appeared to be restored in stages by earthing etc. Not my area of expertise!

Unfortunately the building is severely damaged and the line directly under it will remain closed for now as it is at risk of the building collapsing from above.

 

[Mattplans]

staff book on at Euston!!

really? 3 London Overground lines suspended because they book on at Euston - surely they can find somewehre else to book on

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jan 2026 ==

Unfortunately the building is severely damaged and the line directly under it will remain closed for now as it is at risk of the building collapsing from above.

what about the ECS services that pass through? is there an alternative route

 

[P156KWJ]

For clarity, it is likely that displaced crew is only one piece of the puzzle today, as there were also so many trains misplaced, huge amounts of congestion caused by even more freight than usual being shoehorned onto the section of the NLL between Willesden Jn and Camden Road that would normally go via Primrose Hill (a situation that will now continue until whenever) etc.

Diversionary route available is via Gospel Oak and the 'City Lines' at Kensal Green Jn - I believe some engineering works have been eased / cancelled to allow services to run.

 

[Russel]

Just doing a bit of digging into the history of Primrose Hill via Wiki as despite being a station I pass frequently on the way into Euston, I don't actually know that much about it, but I'm surprised to learn it only closed in the 90s!

 

[bramling]

Just doing a bit of digging into the history of Primrose Hill via Wiki as despite being a station I pass frequently on the way into Euston, I don't actually know that much about it, but I'm surprised to learn it only closed in the 90s!

It’s sad to see, as this is a building I have walked past hundreds of times. I note one of the news articles states “half” the building was on fire, though unfortunately the pictures seem to show worse than this. I seem to remember part of the building is a lighting shop.

 

[Class15]

Anyone know how long the Primrose Hill line will stay shut?

 

[tumbledown]

I believe some engineering works have been eased / cancelled to allow services to run.

The planned passenger diversions over the weekend now show as short-notice cancellations on Real Time Trains.

 

[Recessio]

Just doing a bit of digging into the history of Primrose Hill via Wiki as despite being a station I pass frequently on the way into Euston, I don't actually know that much about it, but I'm surprised to learn it only closed in the 90s!

It had a pretty useless service towards the end of its life. For example, not much good a service arriving in the City at just after 9am if you need to be in the office for 9am.

I thought the platforms and buildings were demolished when the station was closed, didn't realise they were still there. Were they still owned by Network Rail and leased to the yoga business then?

 

[Russel]

It’s sad to see, as this is a building I have walked past hundreds of times. I note one of the news articles states “half” the building was on fire, though unfortunately the pictures seem to show worse than this. I seem to remember part of the building is a lighting shop.

It was mentioned on one of the early news articles I read that it was a 4 storey building that was alight, maybe there was a bit of confusion within the press as to what was actually on fire to start with...

 

[greatkingrat]

The planned passenger diversions over the weekend now show as short-notice cancellations on Real Time Trains.

They are now running Willesden Jn - Stratford via Gospel Oak instead, so the planned possession must have been cancelled.

 

[norbitonflyer]

They are now running Willesden Jn - Stratford via Gospel Oak instead, so the planned possession must have been cancelled.

Still closed south of Willedsen Junction though, as planned.

 

[Nippy]

Because of where the fire was, the initial Emergency Switch Off (ESO) would have taken out the whole of the WCML between Euston and North Wembley, the WLL from North Pole Junction towards Willesden, the NLL from Willesden round to South Tottenham.

This is obviously a huge area, so we wanted to platform all trains to prevent trains being stranded. The Overhead Line team were able to get on site and do switching to enable a local isolation. Which just meant the Up Slow Line from Harlesden to Camden and the Primrose Hill Lines were affected. This was further shortened back to just the Primrose Hill Lines in the early afternoon.

Regarding the DCs and Bakerloo, there is a ESO of the DC between Euston/Primrose Hill and Queens Park South, but we had an ARL unit at Willesden on the Up DC that couldn’t access the depot because the AC being off meant they couldn’t move any trains in the depot and the DC arrival line was blocked by another train.

Once we cleared these trains, the Bakerloo was able to run again. This was also further shortened back in the early afternoon to just the Primrose Hill area, enabling a full service on the DC lines to start up.

 

[Omnishambles]

Anyone know why the Mildmay and Suffragette (NLL/GOBLIN) overground services are suspended and Bakerloo line severely delayed? Trains stuck in the wrong place?

Daresay the initial suspensions were possibly linked to any emergency isolation issued at the very start which would have covered a wider area until later localised, this coupled with freights also trapped unable to run via Primrose Hill

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==

Because of where the fire was, the initial Emergency Switch Off (ESO) would have taken out the whole of the WCML between Euston and North Wembley, the WLL from North Pole Junction towards Willesden, the NLL from Willesden round to South Tottenham. This is obviously a huge area so we wanted to platform all trains to prevent trains being stranded. The Overhead Line team were able to get on site and do switching to enable a local isolation. Which just meant the Up Slow Line from Harlesden to Camden and the Primrose Hill Lines were affected. This was further shortened back to just the Primrose Hill Lines in the early afternoon.
Regarding the DCs and Bakerloo. There was a ESO of the DC between Euston/Primrose Hill and Queens Park South. But we had an ARL unit at Willesden on the Up DC that couldn’t access the depot because the AC being off meant they couldn’t move any trains in the depot and the DC arrival line was blocked by another train. Once we cleared these trains the Bakerloo was able to run again. This was also further shortened back in the early afternoon to just the Primrose Hill area enabling a full service on the DC lines to start up.

just got in ahead of me, and also sounds like possibly replaying your real time recollections as opposed to my now dusty WCML muscle memory

 

[Class15]

this coupled with freights also trapped unable to run via Primrose Hill

Why would this happen? The freight can surely just run via Gospel Oak.

 

[P156KWJ]

Why would this happen? The freight can surely just run via Gospel Oak.

Because of several stuck units already on the line, some without power or drivers, or perhaps both. And that's once you've checked the freight driver signs the alternative route and that their load is cleared that way too.

I'd imagine the priority was given to passenger over freight for the immediate moment as well. The NLL is at bursting point when it is all running smoothly, let alone an event like this.

 

[Falcon1200]

Presumably then there are no Neutral Sections between Primrose Hill and Camden Road? Which would have been useful, in this incident and possibly others.

Edited; Camden Town should read Camden Road.

 

[Elecman]

Presumably then there are no Neutral Sections between Primrose Hill and Camden Town? Which would have been useful, in this incident and possibly others.

Why would you have a neutral section in that area so close to Euston?

 

[Falcon1200]

Why would you have a neutral section in that area so close to Euston?

It would not be on the line to Euston, and it would ensure that lines not physically blocked by an incident such as that discussed here can continue to operate. Which would work both ways.

 

[GraphitProjekt]

Presumably then there are no Neutral Sections between Primrose Hill and Camden Town? Which would have been useful, in this incident and possibly others.

Do you mean between Primrose Hill and Camden Road? Because there is to my understanding, there are neutral section on either line west of Camden Road station as it's the border between areas fed by Bow Jnc FS and Acton Lane FS (and also Romford and Rugby ECR).

Because of where the fire was, the initial Emergency Switch Off (ESO) would have taken out the whole of the WCML between Euston and North Wembley, the WLL from North Pole Junction towards Willesden, the NLL from Willesden round to South Tottenham. This is obviously a huge area so we wanted to platform all trains to prevent trains being stranded. The Overhead Line team were able to get on site and do switching to enable a local isolation. Which just meant the Up Slow Line from Harlesden to Camden and the Primrose Hill Lines were affected. This was further shortened back to just the Primrose Hill Lines in the early afternoon.
Regarding the DCs and Bakerloo. There was a ESO of the DC between Euston/Primrose Hill and Queens Park South. But we had an ARL unit at Willesden on the Up DC that couldn’t access the depot because the AC being off meant they couldn’t move any trains in the depot and the DC arrival line was blocked by another train. Once we cleared these trains the Bakerloo was able to run again. This was also further shortened back in the early afternoon to just the Primrose Hill area enabling a full service on the DC lines to start up.

My understanding was that the NLL from Acton Central to Camden Road (York Way TSC) and from Gospel Oak to South Tottenham was on the second of two feeds from Acton Lane FS while North Wembley to Euston was on the other - those two areas are separated by neutral sections at Scrubs Lane, on the "City Lines" chords and at York Way TSC.

So if the switch off had to take out the NLL as well, was Acton Lane FS already running off just one supply before the fire occured?

Apologies for this rather busy map but Acton Lane FS is the red and orange and neutral sections are the little black lines.

 

[Russel]

Can someone clarify which, if any, passenger services pass through the site of the closed Primrose Hill station?

I'm not too familiar with the Overground lines in North London, it all looks a little complex.

 

[GraphitProjekt]

Can someone clarify which, if any, passenger services pass through the site of the closed Primrose Hill station?

I'm not too familiar with the Overground lines in North London, it all looks a little complex.

Normally none.
Sometimes if there's a planned closure of Willesden Jnc H.L. to Camden through West Hampstead, Overground trains will run from Stratford to Primrose Hill where they wait at a stand and change voltage then continue as far as Willesden Jnc L.L. on the Watford DC lines. Other than that, there may be a few empty stock moves through that way but the most common user for the line is container freight from Felixstowe or London Gateway to Wembley Yard

 

[Russel]

Normally none.
Sometimes if there's a planned closure of Willesden Jnc H.L. to Camden through West Hampstead, Overground trains will run from Stratford to Primrose Hill where they wait at a stand and change voltage then continue as far as Willesden Jnc L.L. on the Watford DC lines. Other than that, there may be a few empty stock moves through that way but the most common user for the line is container freight from Felixstowe or London Gateway to Wembley Yard

Ah okay thanks, makes sense.

So I assume Overground disruption would be due to ECS movement disruption?

 

[GraphitProjekt]

Ah okay thanks, makes sense.

So I assume Overground disruption would be due to ECS movement disruption?

If there's disruption still going for Overground then perhaps. But I think there are other ways they can get between places, I have no idea how Overground's fleet diagramming works so I don't know. The disruption on the day would have been because the OLE was switched off.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Normally none.
Sometimes if there's a planned closure of Willesden Jnc H.L. to Camden through West Hampstead, Overground trains will run from Stratford to Primrose Hill where they wait at a stand and change voltage then continue as far as Willesden Jnc L.L. on the Watford DC lines. Other than that, there may be a few empty stock moves through that way but the most common user for the line is container freight from Felixstowe or London Gateway to Wembley Yard

Such a closure was indeed planned for this weekend, but was cancelled so that trains could run via West Hampstead after all, but terminated at Willeden Junction (High level) as there is a sepaerate closure south of Willesden Junction (to Richmond and to the Scrubs Lane chageover point - Southern services running to Watford Junction as usual, but Overground only running between Clapham Junction and Shepherds Bush