Waste facility fire affects Tube and train travel

A large fire broke out at a waste facility close to Wembley Stadium in north-west London, causing disruption to Tube and train lines.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said 125 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze at an industrial estate on Hannah Close in Neasden, with the smoke visible miles away in central London.

The LFB was alerted just after 11:30 BST on Friday and deployed 20 fire engines to the scene. Residents were warned to keep their windows and doors shut because of the huge amount of smoke.

The fire has caused travel disruption, with Jubilee and Metropolitan line services unable to run through the area and a full service not expected to resume before 18:00 on Saturday.

The fire was brought under control by 17:10 on Friday, but work will continue at the site into the weekend.

The blaze caused the suspension of the entire Metropolitan line for several hours on Friday afternoon.

On Saturday, the Metropolitan line remains suspended between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Aldgate, with severe delays on the rest of the line.

The Jubilee line is also suspended between Wembley Park and Willesden Green, while the remainder of the line is subject to severe delays.

National Rail said Chiltern Railways services were also affected, with trains unable to run between London Marylebone and Amersham.

Instead, Chiltern Railways is running an hourly service between London Marylebone and Aylesbury via High Wycombe, avoiding the affected area, as well as an hourly shuttle service between Aylesbury and Amersham.

Passengers are advised to check for updates before travelling.

Speaking from the scene, LFB assistant commissioner Andy Pennick said firefighters were met by a well-developed fire involving a waste transfer facility and immediately requested 20 fire engines.

"I'd like to thank our firefighters for their hard work so far at this fire, and our control officers for managing a significant number of calls and co-ordinating our response."

A TfL spokesperson said: "We're continuing to liaise with LFB to make sure we understand what we can operate safely for both our customers and staff."

The industrial unit on fire measures approximately 100m by 150m, the LFB said.

The facility is run by London Energy, a company owned by the North London Waste Authority, which is responsible for disposing all of the waste for the boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest.

A spokesperson for the firm confirmed that all London Energy employees were safe and there had been no injuries.

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