Fire at electrical substation caused mayhem for railway passengers

South Western Railway has issued an update after two separate fires caused havoc for passengers.

Cancellations, delays and revised timetables caused chaos for customers across Hampshire yesterday (July 7) after emergency services responded to two fires.

Class 159 train on the West of England Line. Image: South Western Railway

placeholder image — Class 159 train on the West of England Line. Image: South Western Railway

A spokesperson for South Western Railway confirmed fire and rescue crews attended a fire at an electrical substation in the New Milton area yesterday morning. The blaze affected power supplies and signalling between Southampton and Bournemouth, with disruption lasting the entire day.

As a result, a shuttle service was operating between Weymouth and Bournemouth and bus replacements were running between Southampton and Bournemouth.

A spokesperson for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said: “Firefighters were called to an electrical substation near the New Milton railway line.

“As a precaution, train services in the area were suspended while crews investigated the incident. Firefighters did not need to carry out any firefighting operations; however, ventilation fans were deployed to clear smoke from the premises. We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while this incident was dealt with.”

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service also received reports of a fire next to the track between Overton and Whitchurch. Crews attended the scene and extinguished the fire but disruptions were in place until approximately 6pm.