Thameslink rail services between Elephant & Castle and Bromley South have resumed after major disruption earlier today caused by a reported train fire at Peckham Rye station.
Key Incident Details
- Time of Incident: Shortly before 3:00pm, Wednesday, 21 May
- Location: Platform 3, Peckham Rye Station
- Operator: Thameslink
- Cause: Fire onboard a stationary train
- Response: Power to the line switched off; fire extinguished; inspections completed
Service Disruption Timeline
- 2:50pm: Thameslink reported a train on fire at Peckham Rye, halting all services between Elephant & Castle and Bromley South.
- 3:15pm: Power to lines between Denmark Hill and Nunhead was shut off.
- 3:17pm: No trains could run via Denmark Hill. Services were diverted via Herne Hill.
- 3:30–4:30pm: Lines gradually reopened, with residual delays.
- 5:07pm: National Rail confirmed services were running back to normal.
Stations Affected
Thameslink trains were unable to call at:
- Denmark Hill
- Peckham Rye
- Crofton Park
- Catford
- Bellingham
- Beckenham Hill
- Ravensbourne
Southern services at Peckham Rye remained unaffected, operating from separate platforms.
Diverted Routes
- Trains between London Victoria and Dartford were rerouted via London Cannon Street.
- Services to Gillingham ran fast via Herne Hill, skipping several intermediate stops.
- Trains to Sevenoaks were diverted via Beckenham Junction.
Fire Extinguished, Train Inspected
Emergency services extinguished the fire, and specialist teams inspected the affected train before clearance was given to resume services.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, and an internal investigation is expected.
Commuter Reactions
Passengers took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice concerns:
“Stuck between stations for 40 minutes. No info. No air-con. Not good enough.”
“Thanks to the firefighters for a quick response at Peckham Rye. Could’ve been worse.”
Official Advice
Thameslink has advised passengers to check live journey updates and allow extra time for travel through the evening peak, as some residual delays and cancellations may still occur.
