Overview
- Multiple grass fires broke out beside the railway near Lea Road, Waltham Cross on Sunday afternoon and the London Fire Brigade ordered all train movements in the area to stop as a safety precaution.
- Fire crews responded with a Terrain Support Vehicle and numerous appliances after about 50 emergency calls, fought flames that at peak affected open ground, and brought the blaze under control by late afternoon.
- Services serving London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport were cancelled, revised or diverted via Seven Sisters, with routes to Cambridge North, Meridian Water and Hertford East also affected.
- Thick smoke reduced visibility on the M25 between junctions 25 and 26 and passengers were removed from halted trains, while operators put in place alternative ticket acceptance on Underground, Great Northern, Thameslink, Overground and bus services.
- Network Rail and emergency teams remain on site to inspect overhead lines and track infrastructure for heat damage, and operators say services will stay disrupted until engineers complete safety checks and sign off on restored running.