Gatwick station evacuated after train catches fire

Commuters were evacuated from Gatwick Airport railway station due to a fire under a train on Monday.

Images posted online showed black smoke billowing from a stationary carriage at a platform, as flames flickered under the vehicle.

Passengers from the station were moved to the airport's South Terminal while emergency services dealt with the blaze, a Gatwick spokesperson said.

Thamselink said trains had begun to call at the station again at about 14:30 GMT - two hours after the evacuation - although services would be severely delayed.

Passengers had previously been told that they should catch trains from Three Bridges or Horley instead instead.

BBC journalist Clare McDonnell, who was on the train which had came from Brighton, told BBC Radio Sussex the fire appeared to have started when the train pulled in to the station.

She said: "There was a loud bang in the carriage next to me.

"I looked out the window and I saw sparks flying and people on the platform running away.

"There was a lot of smoke and a lot of announcements saying 'everybody get off the train, get off the platform'.

"Staff were running really fast down the stairs with fire extinguishers."

Clare said the sound of the explosion came from outside the train.

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said firefighters responded to a small fire on a passenger train which was believed to have been started accidentally.

Govia Thameslink said the blaze happened at around 12:30.

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