Fire at Oxford Circus (07/05)

At approx 21:45 I was on board a northbound Victoria line train which suddenly non-stopped through Oxford Circus, announced by the driver as being due to a station evacuation. I was becoming alarmed by a strong smell of acrid smoke in the tunnel on the approach, this lasted for part of the way to Warren Street.

I was later told by a member of staff that there is a fire, which started in an equipment room near the Victoria line platforms. The Victoria Line is now suspended in the central section. Large Fire Brigade presence outside Oxford Circus station and passengers on the Central Line are complaining to TfL via Twitter of a smell of smoke at Bond Street.

Hats off to the staff involved in dealing with what is clearly a very serious incident, particularly the station staff involved in the evacuation. Good thing it happened on a quiet Sunday night as opposed to in a busy peak.

I was on a train leaving Vauxhall at 22:02 or thereabouts which also passed Oxford Circus non stop. The driver on board stated it was due to 'reports of a fire' and 'evacuate the station' announcements could be heard as we passed through the platform. I got some video but I don't seem to be able to attach it here off my phone.

The Victoria Line has now resumed and apparently only has minor delays. Oxford Circus remains closed.

This question isn't related to the fire, but since the Victoria is under Automatic Train Operation, how does a train change to non-stop while in service? Is it a driver intervention or one from the line control centre?

D365 said:

This question isn't related to the fire, but since the Victoria is under Automatic Train Operation, how does a train change to non-stop while in service? Is it a driver intervention or one from the line control centre?

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The controller would put in an ATO station skip command which the trains will pick up at stations either side of the closure. They will also radio all drivers to inform them.

D365 said:

This question isn't related to the fire, but since the Victoria is under Automatic Train Operation, how does a train change to non-stop while in service? Is it a driver intervention or one from the line control centre?

Click to expand...

Lrd said:

The controller would put in an ATO station skip command which the trains will pick up at stations either side of the closure. They will also radio all drivers to inform them.

Click to expand...

If a train has already left the preceding station, can the driver intervene upon receipt of the radio message?

rebmcr said:

If a train has already left the preceding station, can the driver intervene upon receipt of the radio message?

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If station skip is applied too late for an ATO train approaching the closed platform then it will still stop in the platform, but having also been advised by radio of the closure, the train operator would not open the doors, and depart when the starter clears.

rebmcr said:

If a train has already left the preceding station, can the driver intervene upon receipt of the radio message?

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It would be an emergency stop and drive the rest in manual.

I'm speaking with the Central Line in mind but the Victoria line is similar.

At 3am the timetable changes over and any ATO station skip commands need to be reapplied so for long term closures you often find yourself coming thundering into a closed station on the first train of the day (or the next one through on Night Tube). The ATO station skip doesn't always show up on the computer when at the platform, normally just after leaving so the driver wouldn't know if the train received it or not.

The same station skip command is used for both planned and unplanned closures then?

D365 said:

The same station skip command is used for both planned and unplanned closures then?

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Yep as far as I'm aware they are, they all act the same when on the train. Stations like Lancaster Gate which has been shut since January will need the station skip command reapplied every morning.

It depends on the system. For TBTC, you 'close' the platform and it turns red on the control room diagram. The driver should get a 'skip next stop' command on the train operators display at the previous station. In ATO the train slows down in the platform but doesn't stop. If the driver is in manual and stops, or the train stops in ATO because it left the previous platform before the platform was closed, the driver won't get accurate stop and be able to open the doors, without over-riding using CSDE.
Again, on TBTC the closed platform command remains overnight, until the signaller re opens the platform.

Another way of doing this is editing the trip of a single train and ticking the skip stop box at the station you want it to go through; this is used if a station asks for 1 or 2 trains to non stop for overcrowding, for example.

Facinating info on this thread, thanks all.