This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

London Euston railway station has reopened after being closed because of a trackside fire involving gas cylinders.

Friday morning rush-hour commuters faced major disruptions as no trains were able to operate between Milton Keynes and Euston due to the overnight fire at a factory and offices. A trackside wall was damaged in the blaze and had to be dismantled and made safe before rail services could resume.

Lines reopened at 1pm although an amended timetable was in place and passengers were urged to check for updates from their train operator or to visit the National Rail website before they travelled.

More than 50 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze at a timber yard in Harrow, north-west London. A two-storey warehouse was destroyed.

Social media users reported hearing explosions and London fire brigade said 12 people had been evacuated from nearby homes as a precaution.

Fire station manager Jason Jones, who was at the scene, said: “We had a very well developed fire, which was extremely visible from quite a way out. There were propane cylinders involved so a hazard zone was set up as cylinders can explode when exposed to heat.”

He said the crews worked hard at the site, which is next to Headstone Lane station, to bring the fire under control.

The fire brigade was called at 11.47pm, and eight engines and 58 firefighters were sent to the fire. It was under control by 3.17am.

Passengers on a London Midland service from London Euston to Milton Keynes were evacuated from a train at Headstone Lane.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Footage posted on Twitter on Thursday night showed the fire burning in the warehouse and an explosion. Annie Naz, who filmed the incident, said she saw smoke and flames as she was about to go to sleep just before midnight.

Play Video 0:29 Huge fire blazes in Harrow – video

She called the emergency services and “within five minutes, everyone was out of their houses”. She said she heard “three massive bangs”, which she attributed to the propane cylinders firefighters have since confirmed were inside the building.