A man who sparked a 24-hour standoff with police by “throwing items” onto the tracks at Kensington Olympia station has been arrested, bringing the incident to a close.
The disruption began early yesterday morning at 4:20 AM (June 17), when trains were first suspended due to the man’s actions at Russell Gardens Mews. As a result, no trains were running between Shepherd’s Bush and Clapham Junction, significantly affecting Southern Railway services between Watford Junction and East Croydon, leading to numerous cancellations and shortened routes.
National Rail confirmed on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the standoff ended at around 5 AM today (June 18). The man was taken into custody and transported to a hospital as a precautionary measure.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said, “Shortly before 05:00hrs on Tuesday, 18 June, the man came down. He was arrested and taken to hospital as a precaution.”
All train services have since returned to normal operation, alleviating the disruption for commuters.
The prolonged incident caused significant inconvenience for passengers, with many trains being cancelled or terminating before their intended destinations.
For anyone needing support, Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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