London flash floods cause travel chaos as train lines suspended

Flash floods in London on Monday evening continue to cause travel chaos today, as a number of train lines and Tube stations remain affected.

It comes after many of the capital’s roads were awash after nearly three inches of rain fell in just 90 minutes.

The Circle line was suspend on Tuesday morning while the District, Hammersmith & City and London Overground were part-suspended. Greater Anglia was also experiencing minor delays while South Western Railway and Thameslink reported disruptions.

A Network Rail spokesperson told the Standard: “Engineers worked through the night to clear flood water and inspect and repair tracks and equipment.

“Main line services are running this morning although a number of trains and crews are out of place so some disruption remains likely.”

Network Rail added that the line between Kilburn Junction and Euston remains blocked, which will affect London Overground services throughout the day.

“We’d advise everyone to check their journey before they travel.”

Euston Station lines had to be shut down after the intense downpours on Monday evening, while underground stations, including Chalk Farm and Hampstead stations in north London and Wimbledon in the south, were closed due to the heavy rainfall.

Flash flooding: July 2021

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TfL said on Twitter that “staff have been working overnight across the network working to repair the damage caused by the rain/flood waters”.

A TfL spokesperson said:“Due to the weather last night, there has been significant flooding in different areas across the capital, which has had an impact on our services across the transport network. We apologise to our customers for any disruption and are working hard to minimise the impact to our services.

“With some bus routes on diversion and Tube and Rail services affected, we strongly advise that customers check for the latest information before they travel to ensure they have a safe and smooth journey.”

Videos on social media showed the extent of the heavy rainfall on Monday, mainly affecting south west and north west London, including boroughs such as Richmond and Kingston.

One user shared a video of Portobello Road fully flooded.

Another showed water pouring in down the stairs at Sloane Square tube station.

Pictures have also emerged of people swimming in ponds created by the thunderstorms on Primrose Hill.

In South End Green, firefighters were called to help carry some walkers to safety across roads that had been flooded by water pouring off Hampstead Heath.

In Hammersmith and Fulham, the local council declared an emergency in the borough after rain caused sewers to overflow and enter a number of homes.

A spokesperson for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea said 120 people were placed in hotels yesterday and their housing management and hub teams will be calling residents today to check on their welfare, “both in the hotels and council residents who might need extra support”.

“North Kensington Library and Central Kensington Library are both closed this morning having also been hit by flooding”, they added.

London Fire Brigade said it had taken more than 1,000 calls related to flooding.

Elsewhere in the UK, Preston was also affected by flooding with a section of the M6 having to be closed to traffic for some time on Monday afternoon.

There have been reports of a pub being flooded and the local Penwortham Girls’ High School will be shut on Tuesday due to “significant flooding”, according to its statement.

However, Britons could soon enjoy dry weather with temperatures up to 24C in central and southern England, and up to 18C in northern England and Scotland from Tuesday.

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