London Victoria Evacuated.

[transportphoto]

Morning all,

Reports of a 442 on fire at Victoria which has lead to a station evacuation.

SouthernRailUK (@SouthernRailUK) tweeted at 7:02 AM on Thu, Jan 17, 2013:
NEW: London Victoria station is being evacuated due to a train on fire.
(https://twitter.com/SouthernRailUK/status/291802545775583232)

Gatwick Express (@GatwickExpress) tweeted at 7:00 AM on Thu, Jan 17, 2013:
*Service Update at 07:00 The 07:00 service from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport has been cancelled due to a fire*
(https://twitter.com/GatwickExpress/status/291802096221708288)

Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) tweeted at 7:15 AM on Thu, Jan 17, 2013:
Gatwick Express train on fire at Victoria Station - station has been evacuated.
(https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/291805907870965761)

Don't know any further at present.

TP

 

[NLC1072]

apparently the fire has started on the underside of a carriage

 

[Jordeh]

Seems to have reopened again already with the fire extinguished, that was quick but no doubt there's enormous disruption across London once again.

https://twitter.com/skynewsbreak/status/291810184987291648

 

[wintonian]

I hope the 442 is okey best stock out there - well before the Gatwick Express refurb they were anyway.

 

[tripleseis]

Here's a snap of the fire:

https://twitter.com/ladylutch/status/291815973097467904/photo/1

 

[wintonian]

Here's a snap of the fire:

https://twitter.com/ladylutch/status/291815973097467904/photo/1

That's the buffet car isn't it?

 

[transportphoto]

For those who can't access Twitter... Hopefully you can see this:

TP

 

[Clip]

Sorry to be a pain transportphoto could you up it as an attachment? Works filter is a right pain in the neck.

thanks


Though why am I so fascinated with fire??

 

[507 001]

According to sky news, "smoke was seen billowing out of the trains engine". They've been electric for how long?

 

[GodAtum]

Wow that was lucky.

Can anyone do me a huge favour a check how late the 0739 East Croydon was into Victoria please?

 

[michael769]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-21056044

A fire in the undercarriage of a Gatwick Express train prompted the evacuation of London Victoria station at the start of the morning rush hour.

Gatwick Express said "mass disruption" was expected. The station partially re-opened after less than an hour once the fire was out and smoke had cleared.

National Rail said delays of about 50 minutes were expected until 10:00 GMT.

Southern Rail, responding to queries from customers on Twitter, said: "No-one was hurt which was good."

 

[voyagerdude220]

Wow that was lucky.

Can anyone do me a huge favour a check how late the 0739 East Croydon was into Victoria please?

Arrived into London Victoria at 0814, 17 mins late.

 

[GodAtum]

Arrived into London Victoria at 0814, 17 mins late.

Thanks!

 

[voyagerdude220]

Thanks!

You're Welcome.

 

[AlexS]

That's the buffet car isn't it?

It's the motor coach, which has got to be the most likely location for a fire to start on an electric unit.

 

[antharro]

Ouch. I seem to remember something like this happening (on a much smaller scale) to a couple of units during their last days with SWT. Do we know the unit number?

 

[jon0844]

The way the BBC reports both Gatwick Express and Southern responding, you'd get the impression they're two totally separate companies. In which case, you might ask why the hell Southern is giving information on something that is none of their concern...

 

[ryan125hst]

According to sky news, "smoke was seen billowing out of the trains engine". They've been electric for how long?

That's what I thought! Why do they never get the news reports right? :roll:

 

[Clip]

That's what I thought! Why do they never get the news reports right? :roll:

Or they could just be reporting in a manner that the majority of people reading or watching a report will understand, not to be very specific to appease either enthusiasts or engineers.

To most people what moves anything is an engine be it electric or combustion. Calling it a motor would more than likely confuse most people so the term engine suffices.

 

[JamesRowden]

Or they could just be reporting in a manner that the majority of people reading or watching a report will understand, not to be very specific to appease either enthusiasts or engineers.

To most people what moves anything is an engine be it electric or combustion. Calling it a motor would more than likely confuse most people so the term engine suffices.

They should not state things that are factually incorrect. :-x

People should already know what an electric motor is.

 

[starrymarkb]

They should not state things that are factually incorrect. :-x

People should already know what an electric motor is.

I wonder if they got this from a member of the public. Chances are the fire was out before any reporters arrived at the scene.

Also the first reporters will often make mistakes, further details will come later. As long as the article is corrected when the mistake is pointed out (and I wouldn't argue over calling a traction pack an engine by the non specialist press as being a failure of journalism)

I really wouldn't envy an on the ground reporter, expected to know everything about everything instantly to satisfy the public's thirst for instant news.

Still it's better journalism then is happening in some areas where columnists are making the news with their war against Twitter activists.

 

[HSTEd]

Perhaps a traction motor flashover or something like that?

 

[sarahj]

its been a fun day out there on the network today, but was lightened by a classic phone call to control at Gatwick this morning. I was with a driver who was wondering where his gatwick express was, which needed to travel empty to Brighton and then run as a Brighton Express,

Call went: I have a driver here with me who wishes to know where his 1A25* is?
Pause
Answer: its on fire in platform 13 at Victoria
Me, oh right

To make matters worse we had a breakdown at East Croydon, Angmering and Chichester. Poor control, the phones must have gone into meltdown.

*not correct code

 

[DXMachina]

Class 442s have reused electrical equipment from slammer EMUs. Did the relevant Mk1 EMUs ever have fire issues?

 

[pendolino]

its been a fun day out there on the network today, but was lightened by a classic phone call to control at Gatwick this morning. I was with a driver who was wondering where his gatwick express was, which needed to travel empty to Brighton and then run as a Brighton Express,

Call went: I have a driver here with me who wishes to know where his 1A25* is?
Pause
Answer: its on fire in platform 13 at Victoria
Me, oh right

To make matters worse we had a breakdown at East Croydon, Angmering and Chichester. Poor control, the phones must have gone into meltdown.

*not correct code

Haha! Makes a change for control to give such a definitive answer like that.

 

[djo]

Motor coach used to be buffet but got converted to seating for Gatwick role. At same time the first class was moved to this coach and the old compartments opened out for standard class seating.

Does anyone know which plastic pig it was that tried to bacon itself?

David

 

[scotsman]

I wonder if they got this from a member of the public. Chances are the fire was out before any reporters arrived at the scene.

Also the first reporters will often make mistakes, further details will come later. As long as the article is corrected when the mistake is pointed out (and I wouldn't argue over calling a traction pack an engine by the non specialist press as being a failure of journalism)

I really wouldn't envy an on the ground reporter, expected to know everything about everything instantly to satisfy the public's thirst for instant news.

Still it's better journalism then is happening in some areas where columnists are making the news with their war against Twitter activists.

The trick is getting it first! The fact is, all the facts, as far as Joe Public (Or Jonny Editor!) is concerned are correct! There will have been a number of reporters who will have heard this from TOCs (likely from twitter) or a source - possibly in the industry, but unlikely - who alerted them.

You'll notice that Sky will break their stories on twitter before BBC, mainly because BBC has a rule that it won't break a story until three sources have confirmed it (in this case, my bets would be GatEx, NR and an eyewitness).

 

[transportphoto]

You'll notice that Sky will break their stories on twitter before BBC, mainly because BBC has a rule that it won't break a story until three sources have confirmed it (in this case, my bets would be GatEx, NR and an eyewitness).

Which is, in my opinion, fairly sensible.

Do we know any more information regards the whereabouts of the unit and what damage it has sustained? I'm guessing it has made way to Selhurst?

TP

 

[Minstral25]

its been a fun day out there on the network today, but was lightened by a classic phone call to control at Gatwick this morning. I was with a driver who was wondering where his gatwick express was, which needed to travel empty to Brighton and then run as a Brighton Express,

Call went: I have a driver here with me who wishes to know where his 1A25* is?
Pause
Answer: its on fire in platform 13 at Victoria
Me, oh right

To make matters worse we had a breakdown at East Croydon, Angmering and Chichester. Poor control, the phones must have gone into meltdown.

*not correct code

Have to say - Hat's off to Southern staff this morning - my service from Redhill to Clapham was delayed but information provided all the way and directions to trains turning around at CLJ was very good.

Shame it was ruined this evening by a single ignorant member of platform staff this evening at Victoria whose ignorance made me miss my train and thus wait 30 minutes for the next one

Shows how much the railway's goodwill can be ruined in seconds by one bad apple

 

[p123]

Here's a snap of the fire:

https://twitter.com/ladylutch/status/291815973097467904/photo/1

I love how this train is shown on the departure board as being "on time".