Battersea trackside fire investigated after flames bring services grinding to a halt

A trackside fire which brought rush hour services grinding to a halt in south London is being investigated by Network Rail.

Photos posted online showed flames and smoke coming from the track on a bridge at Battersea.

The fire began ahead of this morning's rush hour but was still affecting trains until around 8:45am.

"We were called to a fire on a bridge in Battersea around 0430 this morning, where a wooden beam was alight," Network Rail said.

"We closed the lines on the bridge while the fire was being tackled by our friends at London Fire Brigade, and it was put out by 0600.

"We were able to reopen two of the three tracks on the bridge by around 0630 and all three were open by 0845, following a thorough inspection of the bridge.

"We’ll need to do some repair work, notably to a walkway that was damaged in the blaze, and we’re working on a plan for doing that as we speak," the statement added.

It's not clear if the fire was related to the current hot weather but Network rail said teams would be monitoring key hotspot locations to make sure services run safely and reliably.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...