A blaze in a warehouse adjacent to Primrose Hill tunnels forced Network Rail to close the West Coast Main Line in and out of London Euston for much of Friday, disrupting services to Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow. Some 70 firefighters battled the fire, reported at 09:31, and trains began moving again only after 16:00, leaving residual delays into the evening peak. (theguardian.com)
Long-distance operators Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway cancelled dozens of services, while London Overground suspended the Richmond–Stratford route. Eurostar was unaffected, but many passengers rerouted via King’s Cross St Pancras, crowding LNER services to Leeds and Edinburgh. Network Rail lifted ticket restrictions, allowing Friday-only tickets to be used on Saturday.
![Camden track-side fire shuts West Coast Main Line, stranding thousands of business travellers]()
For travellers who suddenly find themselves needing to adjust itineraries—especially those with onward international connections—VisaHQ’s London team can expedite visa amendments or new applications, ensuring that unexpected rail or flight disruptions do not derail critical business plans. Their portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers real-time entry requirements for over 200 countries, giving corporate mobility managers a quick, reliable tool when contingencies strike.
The disruption comes just days before a planned 48-hour strike by rail maintenance staff over rosters, underlining the compound risks facing corporate mobility planners this winter. Companies with time-critical meetings reported switching executives to same-day domestic flights, adding last-minute cost and carbon.
For mobility and relocation teams, the incident is a reminder to include domestic rail contingency in assignment policies – especially for weekly commuters who rely on Euston services. Travel managers should also monitor upcoming industrial-action ballots that could coincide with February half-term.
Long-distance operators Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway cancelled dozens of services, while London Overground suspended the Richmond–Stratford route. Eurostar was unaffected, but many passengers rerouted via King’s Cross St Pancras, crowding LNER services to Leeds and Edinburgh. Network Rail lifted ticket restrictions, allowing Friday-only tickets to be used on Saturday.
For travellers who suddenly find themselves needing to adjust itineraries—especially those with onward international connections—VisaHQ’s London team can expedite visa amendments or new applications, ensuring that unexpected rail or flight disruptions do not derail critical business plans. Their portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers real-time entry requirements for over 200 countries, giving corporate mobility managers a quick, reliable tool when contingencies strike.
The disruption comes just days before a planned 48-hour strike by rail maintenance staff over rosters, underlining the compound risks facing corporate mobility planners this winter. Companies with time-critical meetings reported switching executives to same-day domestic flights, adding last-minute cost and carbon.
For mobility and relocation teams, the incident is a reminder to include domestic rail contingency in assignment policies – especially for weekly commuters who rely on Euston services. Travel managers should also monitor upcoming industrial-action ballots that could coincide with February half-term.
