Train services across London faced major disruption today after Denmark Hill station was closed due to an incident requiring emergency services intervention.

The disruption, which began around 3:30pm, affected several routes operating from London Victoria, with passengers experiencing delays, cancellations, and route alterations during the peak evening commute.

A spokesperson for British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed the nature of the incident, stating:

“Officers were called to Denmark Hill railway station at around 3:30pm today (20 March) following reports of concern for welfare. Officers attended the station and have taken a person to a place of safety.”

By 4:42pm, all lines had reopened, but residual disruption persisted throughout the evening, with delays of up to 50 minutes reported on some services. National Rail later confirmed that emergency services were “safely off the tracks,” but full recovery of services would take several hours.

Ongoing Disruption Across Routes

Services on the following routes were most affected:

• London Victoria to Gravesend via Bexleyheath
• London Victoria to Gillingham
• London Victoria to Orpington via Herne Hill
• London Blackfriars to Beckenham Junction (services suspended)
• All other London Victoria routes faced delays of up to 25 minutes

National Rail and Southeastern advised commuters to allow at least 30 extra minutes for their journeys. Some services were diverted to alternative terminals, such as London Cannon Street and London Blackfriars, or started/terminated at different stations.

Alternative Travel Options Provided

To assist passengers, tickets were being accepted at no extra cost on:

• London Underground between terminal stations and between London Victoria and Brixton
• London Buses between London Victoria, Lewisham, and Bromley South

Service Recovery Timeline

Although disruption was initially expected to clear by 6pm, delays were extended multiple times, eventually estimated to last until 8pm, according to National Rail updates.

The incident has now been resolved, but the ripple effect of train rescheduling and station congestion continued to impact evening travel plans across the capital.

If you’ve been affected by events on the railway and need support, you can speak to someone at any time by calling the Samaritans on 116 123.