Hundreds Stranded After Train Blaze Near Burnham
Chaos hit the tracks near Burnham late Wednesday as a fire broke out in the driver’s cab of a train, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. Emergency crews rushed to the scene just before midnight to battle the blaze and secure the area.
Fire Hits Driver’s Cab, Passengers Safe
The fire erupted on a train heading towards London Paddington, sparking a major emergency response involving firefighters, British Transport Police, and South Central Ambulance Service.
Remarkably, all passengers on board the affected Fife Ted service were reported safe and well. Firefighters swiftly tackled the flames using CO2 extinguishers and a hose reel, preventing the fire from spreading further.
Group Manager Dom Manton, RBFRS Incident Commander, said: “The response to this fire was very well organised, ensuring that passengers were kept safe at all times. We worked closely with rail incident officers, British Transport Police and ambulance crews to deal with the incident quickly.”
Massive Rail Disruption Expected Until Early Morning
Network Rail confirmed all lines near Burnham were blocked as fire crews battled the blaze. This has crippled services on key routes, including:
- Heathrow Express
- Heathrow Connect
- Great Western Railway
Trains between Reading, Heathrow Airport, Slough, Maidenhead, and London Paddington were delayed by up to 90 minutes or cancelled. Disruption is expected to last until at least 3-4am as crews inspect the damage and clear the defective train.
A Network Rail spokesperson warned: “All lines are currently blocked, so disruption is expected out of Paddington. The fire near Burnham has majorly affected services.”
Firefighters Work Through The Night
Fire Control received first reports of the blaze just after 11.20pm. Crews from Slough, Maidenhead, Bracknell, and Aylesbury stations were dispatched. After extinguishing the fire, the train was moved to Slough Fire Station for passenger evacuation and then to a storage bay near Paddington for a thorough safety check by the London Fire Brigade.
The swift and coordinated efforts of the fire brigade and partner agencies prevented what could have been a much worse disaster.
