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Pictures of an “insane” scrum of passengers at Oxford Circus station are proof of the desperate need to upgrade the transport network, Tube bosses admitted today.

Extraordinary images were captured last night as more than a thousand passengers were locked out of the station by staff trying to prevent dangerous overcrowding on platforms after a Victoria line train broke down.

Transport for London was forced to backtrack after a spokesman said the situation was “nothing out of the ordinary”. As the scale of the chaos became clear, a senior official issued a public apology for the overcrowding.

The station - normally the fourth busiest in the capital with around 125,000 passengers a day - is under extra pressure because Central line trains are not stopping at Tottenham Court Road during Crossrail construction work.

Scuffles broke out as passengers were crammed together on pavements. Dr Glenys Jones, 34, a nutritionist based in Portland Place, said: “It was like the first day of the Harrods sales.

“All four entrances were closed and about 300 people were queuing at each. A Tube must have come in at one point, so a gap appeared. Those at the front of the queue got agitated because people were pushing in from the sides. There was a lot of pushing and shoving.”

Civil servant James Clements, 32, from Brixton, said: “If you aren’t here before 6pm forget about it, you’re going to have to wait. It makes me angry because of the rising fares and yet we are penned in like cattle.”

Danielle Couchman, 27, a voice-over artist for ITVBe, who was travelling home to Hackney after a recording session with Calvin Harris in Soho, said: “I’ve never seen it this bad before.”

A security guard working at a store opposite said: “It was absolutely insane and all because of a train breaking down. It goes to show the system is at breaking point.

“These crowds looked dangerous and it’s almost as bad every night of the week now. People get angry and people are pushing and shoving to get space and occasionally fights break out.”

One Tube worker told the Standard the station was temporarily shut at rush hour almost every day to alleviate “very high levels of overcrowding.”

It came two days after widespread disruption at London Bridge caused badly-delayed train passengers to hurdle and crawl under barriers to escape a crush, prompting demands for an investigation.

TfL sources insist the situation at Oxford Circus “isn’t London Bridge” and highlighted the desperate need for Crossrail, which is due to open in 2018. One said: “The place is so crowded that one defective [Tube] train will cause the gates to be shut.”

TfL operations director Peter McNaught said: “Due to the vast crowds that often visit the West End we sometimes have to temporarily close the station to ensure customer safety and prevent overcrowding on the platforms.

“We are sorry to those who got caught up or delayed, TfL is expanding Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street stations in order to meet demand. In addition, the opening of Crossrail will mean vital new capacity through central London.”