- A steam train arriving at London Victoria this evening set off a fire alarm
- Station staff were forced to evacuate the station which was full of commuters
- Trains were halted for 25 minutes until the area was declared as being safe
London Victoria train station has been evacuated this evening after a fire alarm was was activated from steam pouring from the Flying Scotsman.
According to Network Rail the station was forced to close for 25 minutes while staff assessed the situation.
The BBC confirmed a member of staff failed to switch off a sensor before the locomotive’s arrival which caused the false alarm.
This woman, left, refused to leave behind her portion of chips from Wetherspoons when Victoria station was evacuated earlier this evening
One commuter spotted the woman making sure she had supplies for the rest of her trip
Angry-looking commuters stood outside Victoria station as a result of the false alarm
The Flying Scotsman, pictured last year, pulled into London Victoria as part of its summer tour
However, one woman in Wetherspoons refused to leave behind her chips despite the evacuation call.
According to Network Rail: ‘Earlier this evening a charter steam train upon arriving into London Victoria station had set off the pre-alarm on the fire panel. Although no fire was discovered and the issue was confirmed as a false alarm, the fire alarm system entered full evacuation mode and the correct process for a full alarm was carried out as per the safety standard.
‘For 25 minutes no trains were able to arrive or depart from London Victoria whilst the alarm system was being reset. At 19:40, the station re-opened.’
The Gatwick Express as well as Southern and Southeastern services were temporarily halted by the false alarm.
According to Transport for London, Victoria underground station continued to operate normally during the drama.
Delayed passengers looked forlornly into their smart phones awaiting the station’s reopening
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