Thousands of commuters faced a morning from hell after “multiple line-side fires” between Chelmsford and Ingatestone brought services to a standstill – before a person was struck by a train on the same line just hours later.
The commuter town of Chelmsford, where 8,500 people travel into London for work daily, was left paralysed as frustrated passengers queued on Platform One while staff advised them to make a 10-mile drive to Shenfield instead.
“The trains are all f**ked. There’s been a fire on the line,” one Chelmsford commuter told fellow passengers as the 5.41am service to London Liverpool Street sat motionless for more than 20 minutes before being redirected back to Clacton-on-Sea.
‘Hardly Any Parking at Shenfield’
Greater Anglia staff were heard advising stranded commuters to drive up the A12 to Shenfield to catch services, prompting dismay from regular travellers. “There’s hardly any parking at Shenfield,” one frustrated commuter pointed out, highlighting the impracticality of the suggestion.
The fires, which broke out between Chelmsford and Ingatestone in the early hours, caused havoc along the entire Greater Anglia mainline, affecting stations from Ipswich and Colchester through to Braintree and Witham. Chelmsford Station’s departure boards showed no estimated resumption times, leaving thousands in limbo.
Despite the Trainline app suggesting services were running on time, station staff warned passengers: “The Trainline app might suggest the next train is running on time but you’ll need to drive to Shenfield to get the train.
Services Resume – Then Fresh Disaster
Greater Anglia confirmed services had resumed shortly before 7am, with the first train departing at 6.51am – more than half an hour behind schedule. The service, originally timetabled for 6.18am, eventually limped into Stratford at 7.13am.
But commuters were given less than an hour’s respite before fresh chaos struck. Just before 8am, a person was struck by a train between Colchester and Chelmsford, bringing the entire network to a grinding halt once again.
“Regrettably, due to a person hit by a train between Colchester and Chelmsford, services will be disrupted,” Greater Anglia announced. “Train services running through these stations will be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until further notice.”
Major Essex Stations Paralysed
The double disruption created a perfect storm for Essex’s busiest commuter hubs. Chelmsford alone sees 6.5 million journeys annually – more than any other Essex station – while nearby Ingatestone adds another 780,000 travellers to the network.
The knock-on effects rippled through the entire Greater Anglia network, with almost 2.8 million annual journeys from affected stations including:
- Witham: 1.7 million journeys
- Colchester: Major commuter hub
- Braintree: Key feeder station
- Ipswich: Eastern terminus affected
Greater Anglia’s live disruption map painted a grim picture, showing severe delays across the entire network from London Liverpool Street to Ipswich, affecting every station in between.
Alternative Transport Scramble
As the crisis deepened, Greater Anglia confirmed First Essex Buses would accept rail tickets on three key routes:
- 300 between Chelmsford and Billericay
- 351 between Chelmsford and Brentwood
- 71 between Colchester and Chelmsford
However, many commuters reported buses were already overcrowded as desperate travellers sought any route into the capital.
‘Multiple’ Fires Cause Morning Mayhem
Greater Anglia later revealed the scale of the morning’s first incident, apologising for “multiple line-side fires” between Chelmsford and Ingatestone. The blazes had blocked the northbound section of the London to Norwich mainline, requiring attendance from both Network Rail engineers and Essex Fire Brigade.
“Following multiple fires next to the railway line between Ingatestone and Chelmsford earlier today, all lines have reopened,” a spokesperson confirmed, though disruption was expected to continue until at least 10.45am.
Company Response
A Greater Anglia spokesman said: “This morning, services have been affected by a lineside fire between Chelmsford and Ingatestone, and a person hit by train in the Hatfield Peverel area.
“Emergency services are currently on site and customers should check our website, app, or social media for updates. We apologise for the inconvenience caused, and anyone who was delayed for more than 15 minutes can claim delay repay at greateranglia.co.uk/delayrepay.”
The double disaster highlighted the vulnerability of Essex’s vital commuter network, where a single incident can paralyse travel for tens of thousands. With Chelmsford serving as Essex’s busiest station and a crucial link for London-bound workers, today’s chaos will have cost the economy millions in lost productivity.
As emergency services continued to deal with the fatality near Hatfield Peverel, frustrated commuters faced the prospect of severely disrupted evening services, with many opting to work from home rather than risk being stranded in London.
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Image Credit (Shortened):
Chelmsford Railway Station — by Jonathan Hutchins, licensed under CC BY‑SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
