Fires halt trains between London and Stansted Airport

Trains between London and Stansted Airport have been stopped due to multiple trackside fires that have also affected some other routes.

Greater Anglia reported at 14:57 BST that a fire at Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire meant all trains had to be halted on one line. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) had requested this because the fires - including a large grass fire in Waltham Abbey - were close to the tracks, it said.

Rail services to and from Cambridge North, Meridian Water in Hertfordshire and Hertford East have also been affected.

Trains could be delayed, cancelled or diverted via Seven Sisters, a National Rail spokesperson said.

This included services to and from London Liverpool Street and Stratford.

National Rail said people needing to travel to Stansted Airport would have to take a train from London Kings Cross to Cambridge and then down to the airport, which they could do at no extra cost if they had already bought a ticket.

The London Fire Brigade said 14 engines were used to tackle the grass fire, near Lea Road in Waltham Abbey, which is near Waltham Cross.

Just after 17:00 it said the fire was now under control.

The LFB reported that at the height of the fire, about 14 hectares (35 acres) of grassland was alight. Crews used water backpacks and wildfire beaters to tackle it.

Greater Anglia also said Network Rail officers were on site, "working as quickly as possible" to help restore train services to normal.

Smoke has also affected traffic on the M25, the fire service said, with National Highways adding, one lane of the anti-clockwise carriageway between Enfield and Waltham Abbey was shut for investigation and repairs due to the fire.

Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.