The station was evacuated on Monday morning

Hundreds of people are returning to their homes, which were evacuated, along with the station, on Monday.

There had been fears of an explosion at a nearby building site, where a fire had heated up gas cylinders.

Now the cylinders have cooled down, overground trains are expected to start running again from start of service.

Thousands of commuters had disrupted journeys, with many using Finsbury Park station in north London, where Peterborough services were starting and terminating.

An acetylene cylinder is a destructive force. If the bottom comes off and it blows up, it goes off like a torpedo Asst Com Nick Collins

Hundreds of people were forced from their homes with some staying overnight at a pub, others in a church hall and some with friends and family.

"I'm fed up, I want to go to my house, to my bed," one woman told BBC London on Tuesday afternoon.

Alf Titley, 60, who was among those staying at The Mitre pub, said: "What time did I go to sleep? About 2 - I had a good drink."

The exclusion zone was finally lifted at about 2100 BST on Tuesday evening.

Frustrated residents and commuters questioned why the 200m exclusion zone was still in place, nearly two days after the fire.

Assistant commissioner Nick Collins, of the London Fire Brigade, said firefighters were aware of the problems faced by residents and travellers, but said they could not use water to cool the gas cylinders any faster.

He explained: "These cylinders are eight floors up, in a precarious position, hanging on a platform that's already partially burnt through.

"They are in a very dangerous state... an acetylene cylinder is an absolutely amazing, explosive and destructive force. If the bottom comes off and it blows up, it goes off like a torpedo."