Trains chaos at major London stations after blaze in garage under railway line

Services into four of London's major stations were heavily disrupted after a subsequent blaze ripped through an MOT garage in railway arches at Bermondsey.

A 25-year-old mechanic suffered serious chest, leg and arm injuries in the blast and was taken to the Royal London Hospital.

He was carried out of the garage by workers from adjoining premises.

Emergency services set up a 200-metre hazard zone amid fears that gas cylinders at the property in Blue Anchor Lane could explode.

A "massive" blast was reported shortly before the fire broke out at about 10am. Residents were evacuated from their homes and 30 firefighters were tackling the blaze.

A witness, who did not want to be named, said: "I work in the building next door and the force of the explosion made it shake. It was like nothing I have ever heard before. I saw an injured man and he was conscious. People who work nearby were carrying him out.

"I don't know how badly injured he was, but he was completely limp. At that point the fire started." A London Ambulance spokesman said: "We are assisting other emergency services with the evacuation of the area. We have transferred three patients with medical requirements from their homes to a nearby care centre." Two of the busiest commuter services - Southeastern and Southern Railway - were forced to run emergency timetables, cancelling many trains and delaying others. There was no service into Charing Cross, London Bridge, Waterloo East and Cannon Street. It was a repeat of the major disruption caused a month ago when a fire broke out in the same area.

The train company worst affected was Southeastern, which was diverting services, where possible, into Victoria and Blackfriars stations.

Services run by First Capital Connect and by Southern were also hit, with Southern's London Bridge trains being diverted to Herne Hill.

Southeastern said that today's fire could disrupt services for the next 24 hours.

Southeastern carries 120,000 commuters into the capital each day. Spokesman Nigel Jarrett said: "The situation as we speak is serious. We don't know how long the lines will be closed but it could be up to 24 hours because we have been told that gas cylinders are involved.î

A senior rail manager said: "The fire could not have occurred at a worse place and is causing major problems. All lines between New Cross and London Bridge have been closed - and this could last into tomorrow."

An inquiry is to be launched into the sudden closure of a contraflow system at the Blackwall Tunnel that has caused weeks of misery for commuters.

Transport for London axed the system, known as "tidal flowî, last month on police advice after a motorcyclist nearly died trying to overtake.

Tidal flow had operated under police control since 1978 during the morning peak. Northbound traffic was allowed one of the two lanes of the southbound tunnel for 20 to 40 minutes to ease tailbacks of vehicles wishing to cross the Thames. Today Len Duvall, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, admitted there had been a "failure of communicationî between the Met and TfL.