Engineers repair 'large' gas leak that closed Charing Cross station

Engineers have repaired a large gas leak that caused the closure of London’s Charing Cross station, disrupting travel for thousands of commuters on Tuesday morning.

Gas supplier Cadent said its priority was to reopen the station as soon as possible after firefighters took almost 1,500 people to safety and helped police deal with a ruptured gas main in Craven Street, off the Strand near Trafalgar Square.

The Strand was closed entirely on Tuesday morning and a 150-metre cordon put in place while National Grid engineers tried to isolate the leak before patching the pipe.

“We are now checking the closest properties to ensure there is no gas in these buildings,” a statement from Cadent said. “No one can enter these properties until we have completed these safety checks.

“Engineers are working to resolve the situation as quickly and safely as possible and we hope to have the stations and streets open by late morning.”

One witness described “chaos” at the Heaven nightclub beneath Charing Cross station as doormen ordered visitors to leave after the alarm was raised. Guests at the hotel were placed in temporary accommodation.

London fire brigade said it was called to the scene at 2am. Its spokesman, Brett Loft, said there was a risk of gas leaks due to ageing pipes in London.

“It has happened a few times recently ... there is an ongoing programme at the moment to replace all the pipework. It’s just one of those things. It happens.”

Southeastern, the rail company that handles routes into Charing Cross, said some morning trains would be diverted to other destinations, “but there will be cancellations on our Charing Cross routes and also on other lines which share our routes to Charing Cross”.

Waterloo East station was also closed because trains were unable to turn around on that stretch of line before reaching Charing Cross. Rail services were expected to resume by noon, Southeastern said on its website.

A spokesperson for Network Rail, which manages rail infrastructure, said Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations were closed and would reopen as soon as safely possible.

Transport for London tweeted that “A4 Strand/Northumberland St is closed” between Trafalgar Square and Bedford Street.

Revellers at the Heaven nightclub described trying to leave “as fast as possible”. One wrote on Twitter: “Evacuated from heaven because of a gas leak wow. Literally chaos. Crush on the stairs. Security being knocked aside.”