Train fire at London Bridge (08/04)

[ScotGG]

Southern train on fire in past hour. https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/2019/04/08/train-fire-at-london-bridge-causing-disruption/

According to London Fire Brigade:

Two fire engines and an aerial ladder platform have been called to reports of a fire on the train tracks at London Bridge station.

The brakes on a passenger train are alight. All passengers have been removed from the train. There are no reports of any injuries.

Station staff have isolated the power on three tracks at the station to allow fire crews to gain access to the track.

The Brigade was called at 0841...

 

[KingJ]

Video here.

The London Fire Brigade have confirmed that the brakes were on fire, and that all passengers were safely removed from the train without any reported injuries.

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents/2019/april/fire-on-train-tracks-at-london-bridge/

Two fire engines and an aerial ladder platform have been called to reports of a fire on the train tracks at London Bridge station.

The brakes on a passenger train are alight. All passengers have been removed from the train. There are no reports of any injuries.

Station staff have isolated the power on three tracks at the station to allow fire crews to gain access to the track.

The Brigade was called at 0841. Fire crews from Dowgate, Dockhead and Soho are at the scene.

Edit: Statement later changed to remove the reference to the brakes and instead state that "Approximately ten per cent of the underneath of one train carriage was damaged by fire". Quote above reflects the statement at the time of posting.

 

[Gems]

Let's walk past a burning train and stop to take a photo. LOL

 

[talldave]

Slightly worrying that people are standing around/talking on their phones whilst a train is clearly on fire in front of them. I'd be putting safe distance between myself and the flames.

 

[greaterwest]

The London Fire Brigade have confirmed that the brakes were on fire

Southern meanwhile have not confirmed such information, it is best not to speculate until that information has been provided by Southern themselves.

 

[RichJF]

Having previously commuted to London Bridge I'm surprised that platform staff are not in front of the train directing people to walk on the opp platform instead.

 

[KingJ]

Slightly worrying that people are standing around/talking on their phones whilst a train is clearly on fire in front of them. I'd be putting safe distance between myself and the flames.

Got to capture that perfect Twitter moment so that you can get a thousand messages from media organisations asking permission to use your picture/video!

In seriousness however the person talking on the phone might have been calling the emergency services, and eyewitness photos/video can sometimes aid later investigations. That said some distance would certainly have been a sensible idea rather than milling around it.

 

[Beebman]

Let's walk past a burning train and stop to take a photo. LOL

Or even a video: https://twitter.com/anthony_sanders/status/1115163412848357376

 

[nat67]

So there was no indication that it could have had something to do with some litter that got caught in the shoe and a spark ignited it perhaps?

 

[Gems]

Got to capture that perfect Twitter moment so that you can get a thousand messages from media organisations asking permission to use your picture/video!

In seriousness however the person talking on the phone might have been calling the emergency services, and eyewitness photos/video can sometimes aid later investigations. That said some distance would certainly have been a sensible idea rather than milling around it.

Nah, lets not give these idiots acclaim they don't deserve. It's called 'Darwinism' where the idiots flounder, the sort who stand around fires taking pictures.

 

[nuts & bolts]

Nah, lets not give these idiots acclaim they don't deserve. It's called 'Darwinism' where the idiots flounder, the sort who stand around fires taking pictures.

It's on my Bucket List, selfie and train on fire :-0

 

[DarloRich]

Nah, lets not give these idiots acclaim they don't deserve. It's called 'Darwinism' where the idiots flounder, the sort who stand around fires taking pictures.

Wasn't an off duty senior army officer recently given a commendation for doing just such a thing with the Parsons Green bomb?

 

[Gems]

Wasn't an off duty senior army officer recently given a commendation for doing just such a thing with the Parsons Green bomb?

Did he post it on 'twitter'?

 

[DarloRich]

Did he post it on 'twitter'?

no idea. Perhaps a dynamic risk assessment was undertaken before the pictures were taken

 

[nuts & bolts]

Having previously commuted to London Bridge I'm surprised that platform staff are not in front of the train directing people to walk on the opp platform instead.

The platform staff maybe out of shot, but more likely at the Gate line controlling access & exit, the driver and or conductor will have made the emergency evacuate announcement to this effect , common sense should prevail.

 

[KingJ]

The London Fire Brigade's statement has now removed the reference to the brakes, instead noting that "Approximately ten per cent of the underneath of one train carriage was damaged by fire".

 

[Gems]

no idea. Perhaps a dynamic risk assessment was undertaken before the pictures were taken

You see I don't understand all this obsession with taking pictures. I was brought up in the tourist hotspot of Haworth where the Bronte sisters lived. I used to laugh at hoards of Japanese tourists taking pictures of anything and everything. Even the latest pile of dog turd ended up on a roll of 35mm film somewhere in the far east. But I just think these days stupidity is spreading like a disease.
You see it on 'Youtube' a plane being raided by armed police because a nutter has threatened to blow it up, and all you see is mobile phones being waved above the seats. I mean personally I'd be gone like the wind, never mind filming what could be your own last moments.

 

[hwl]

One photo I've seen shows the brake pad glowing yellow-orange hot with flames around it but that might not have been the ultimate cause...

 

[gazr]

Maybe if one of the passengers taking pictures/video was a soldier, they would get a bravery medal! (said with MASSIVE sarcasm).
Edit: I see someone above referenced the Parsons Green incident. What a joke.

 

[AM9]

One photo I've seen shows the brake pad glowing yellow-orange hot with flames around it but that might not have been the ultimate cause...

I think you mean 'original'.

 

[superalbs]

Set number 377309.

 

[QueensCurve]

I think you mean 'original'.

Root?

 

[Tony2]

377309 sitting in London Bridge platform 14 now, no obvious signs of damage but it does smell a bit crisped....

It's the middle set with 377319 and 377432 coupled either end

 

[HuFey]

Coach number applied to the vehicle seems to be wrong!? On one of the videos you see 78409 but it should read 74809 instead...

 

[Class455]

Coach number applied to the vehicle seems to be wrong!? On one of the videos you see 78409 but it should read 74809 instead...

I was literally about to say that

 

[AM9]

Root?

Yes, that would fit, - but definitely not 'ultimate'.

 

[aleggatta]

Looks like a bearing failure, with the heat build up igniting the rubber chevrons, suspect a skate job tonight!

 

[Crossover]

Looking at Traksy, p14 at London Bridge is currently occupied by "1K92" and "6CAR". 1K92 was the 0712 Guildford to London Bridge which arrived at the latter 10L at 0838. Looks like this was the incident train. It looks like it should have then formed 1K15 0855 London Bridge to Epsom

Additionally, it looks like a 'good' unit (referring to earlier mentions that the incident unit was sandwiched) may have been taken off the train and left as 5K47 1655 London Bridge to Selhurst T&R.S.M.D

 

[DarloRich]

Maybe if one of the passengers taking pictures/video was a soldier, they would get a bravery medal! (said with MASSIVE sarcasm).
Edit: I see someone above referenced the Parsons Green incident. What a joke.

I dont understand your point.

 

[tsr]

Looks like a bearing failure, with the heat build up igniting the rubber chevrons, suspect a skate job tonight!

Looking at Traksy, p14 at London Bridge is currently occupied by "1K92" and "6CAR". 1K92 was the 0712 Guildford to London Bridge which arrived at the latter 10L at 0838. Looks like this was the incident train. It looks like it should have then formed 1K15 0855 London Bridge to Epsom

Additionally, it looks like a 'good' unit (referring to earlier mentions that the incident unit was sandwiched) may have been taken off the train and left as 5K47 1655 London Bridge to Selhurst T&R.S.M.D

1K92 was delayed at Carshalton Beeches with a Wheel Slip Protection fault indication, leading to a cumulative delay of about 11 minutes. The train then proceeded to London Bridge, and judging by social media posts from Southeastern passengers, it appears to have been on fire on approach to the terminus. Investigations are underway (obviously) but it would appear the WSP fault indication may be linked to the subsequent fire in roughly the same place. This doesn’t necessarily mean the correct fault indication was shown earlier in the journey.

1K92 (as with all Southern services to/from Guildford) is booked to be a 10 coach train formed of 3 + 3 + 4 coach units, which was the case today (ie. 2x 377/3 units at one end, and usually a 377/1 at the other). The unaffected country end 4 coach unit has been removed, and the affected middle 3 coach unit + trapped London end 3 coach unit remain at London Bridge awaiting a possession to give space for fitters to make them safe for removal.