A huge blaze broke out at Nottingham train station this morning, forcing fire crews to evacuate the building and cancel trains.
National Rail reports major disruption to Crosscountry and East Midlands services in the wake of the fire. Trains from London St Pancras will terminate at East Midlands Parkway, while trains from Cardiff Central, Birmingham New Street and Matlock will terminate at Derby until further notice. It is expected that the station will not re-open at any point today.
Passengers are advised not to attempt to travel to or from Nottingham until emergency crews declare the station safe. East Midlands is providing a limited replacement bus service to Nottingham Riverside Retail Park for passengers who were already on trains travelling toward Nottingham, but those who have yet to depart are advised not to travel unless it is “absolutely necessary”. Alternative train operators are accepting tickets on reasonable routes.
Several roads surrounding the station have also been closed, so traffic may be heavier than usual in the city.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue has described the blaze as ‘severe’, according to the BBC, but no injuries have been reported.
The fire happens when RMT union members stage their third 24-hour strike of the week, including staff members on Northern services.
Nottingham station recently completed a £50 million redevelopment, which included restoration on the Grade II-listed front building.