Victoria station evacuated over ‘faulty’ fire alert:
A fire alert at Victoria station caused rush hour misery for commuters this morning as authorities evacuated the major London travel hub.
Passengers struggled to get to work as the Victoria Line, Circle Line and District Line did not stop at the station after the incident, which took place around 7am.
Read more: Londoners brace for summer Tube strike misery
However, the Gatwick Express, Southern Rail and Southeastern train services were still operating.
Videos circulating on social media showed Victoria underground station mid-evacuation, with at least three fire engines attending the scene.
A spokesperson for British Transport Police said: “The team are currently at Victoria which has been evacuated due to a technical fault causing the station to go into evacuation mode.
“Please avoid the station whilst this is being fixed. Thank you for your patience.”
Transport for London (TfL) blamed “faulty fire equipment” for the alert and said Victoria station will remain closed until the issue is resolved.
“Victoria station is currently closed while we respond to a fire alert,” TfL said. “Please use alternative routes for now – we’ll keep you updated.”
Later it confirmed the underground station had reopened.
Nevertheless, the disruption ruined commuters’ mornings as they tried to get to work when the incident occurred at around 7am.
Gabriel Ferreira called Victoria station “mad busy” and warned fellow passengers to avoid it if possible.
Another Twitter user, Jack, said it was a probnlem he could do without.
Meanwhile Keith Bradnam criticised TfL for not tweeting about it quickly enough to warn commuters off using the station.
“Information please @TfL!” he tweeted.
A fellow commuter said: “Fire alarm at Victoria first thing on a Monday morning. Wonderful.”
Passengers were left to plan alternative routes via bus outside the station instead.
Londoners are already bracing for a summer of Tube chaos after the RMT union confirmed a ballot of 2,000 members of staff will take place this week.