Transport minister Jo Johnson has thanked members of the emergency services for their efforts in tackling a huge fire at Nottingham railway station.
Dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze at the train station, which broke out at around 6.25am.
The fire is still going but is now under control.
Visiting the scene this afternoon, Mr Johnson described the fire as a “devastating incident that’s done substantial damage” and added: “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the emergency services”.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said that 60 firefighters from eight stations tackled the fire.
The station will be closed for the rest of the day, with no trains arriving or departing.
The fire is thought to have started in a toilet in a new extension on the Queen's Road side of the station, before spreading to the roof.
Roads around the station were initially closed off, but by 2pm were beginning to re-open.
Buses and trams were also severely disrupted, but had begun to return to normal by afternoon.
Keys facts about the Nottingham station fire The number of firefighters at the scene is 50
Ten crews are tackling the blaze
The initial call came in at 6.25am
No injuries to report
The cause is yet to be determined
Station is expected to be closed all day
(Image: SWNS)
The cause of the fire has not yet been established. There are no reports of any injuries.
The railway station was originally built in 1848 and is a landmark, Grade II* listed building. It has recently been refurbished.
Services run from Nottingham across the country, including trains in and out of London St Pancras.
The station is also a hub for tram services and there are bus and coach stops nearby, as well as a multi-storey car park.
See updates on this below.
Transport minister Jo Johnson has thanked members of the emergency services for their efforts in tackling a huge fire at Nottingham railway station.
Dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze at the train station, which broke out at around 6.25am.
The fire is still going but is now under control.
Visiting the scene this afternoon, Mr Johnson described the fire as a “devastating incident that’s done substantial damage” and added: “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the emergency services”.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said that 60 firefighters from eight stations tackled the fire.
The station will be closed for the rest of the day, with no trains arriving or departing.
The fire is thought to have started in a toilet in a new extension on the Queen's Road side of the station, before spreading to the roof.
Roads around the station were initially closed off, but by 2pm were beginning to re-open.
Buses and trams were also severely disrupted, but had begun to return to normal by afternoon.
Keys facts about the Nottingham station fire The number of firefighters at the scene is 50
Ten crews are tackling the blaze
The initial call came in at 6.25am
No injuries to report
The cause is yet to be determined
Station is expected to be closed all day
(Image: SWNS)
The cause of the fire has not yet been established. There are no reports of any injuries.
The railway station was originally built in 1848 and is a landmark, Grade II* listed building. It has recently been refurbished.
Services run from Nottingham across the country, including trains in and out of London St Pancras.
The station is also a hub for tram services and there are bus and coach stops nearby, as well as a multi-storey car park.
See updates on this below.
Sixty firefighters tackling blaze that has spread to roof, with all rail services passing through station cancelled
Police are investigating the cause of a huge fire that broke out in a block of toilets at Nottingham railway station.
About 60 firefighters tackled the blaze, which started at 6.30am on Friday and spread to the main concourse and roof.
The British Transport Police and Nottinghamshire fire and rescue service have launched a joint investigation and urged anyone with information to get in touch.
Supt Sandra England, who is leading the BTP response, said: “A joint investigation is now under way with Nottingham fire and rescue service to establish the cause of the fire. We would like to hear from anyone who has any information.
“We are grateful for the support we have received from the people of Nottingham and ask for your continued patience as we work with Nottinghamshire police and our colleagues across the emergency services to return the incident to normality as quickly as possible.
“Our officers have been on the scene at Nottingham railway station all morning supporting Nottinghamshire fire and rescue firefighters as they deal with the large fire.
“Cordons remain in place around the area with nearby roads closed, and trains are not running. It is likely the station will remain closed all day. Fortunately, we have not had any reports of any injuries as a result of the fire.”
The station was evacuated shortly before the morning rush-hour.
The new transport minister, Jo Johnson, tweeted to say he was on his way to Nottingham to thank emergency services.
The blaze has caused widespread travel disruption across the city’s transport network. East Midlands Trains said: “It is anticipated that Nottingham station will not reopen today and we expect trains to be disrupted on all routes through Nottingham for the whole of Friday 12 January.”
NET Nottingham Tram said its trams were unable to stop at Nottingham station.
The Grade II-listed building was built in the mid-19th century and refurbished in recent years.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The building has been evacuated and trains have been cancelled
A huge blaze has closed Nottingham railway station, causing major disruption.
At its peak 10 fire crews were tackling the fire, which began at about 06:30 GMT.
Flames were seen coming from the station's roof and smoke filled the foyer, prompting the building's evacuation.
All train services have been suspended and a number of roads were closed.
Incident commander Bryn Coleman, from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue, said crews faced "arduous" conditions when they arrived to tackle the "severe" fire that spread across the concourse.
He said crews were still inside and trying to contain the fire between the new part of the station and the main building, describing the operation as "difficult and protracted".
Image copyright Nottingham Fire and Rescue Image caption Nottingham Fire and Rescue tweeted a picture from inside the building
He added the fire was believed to have started in a toilet.
The fire service confirmed in the early afternoon they were still tackling pockets of fire but an investigation was already under way.
British Transport Police said it was an "ongoing incident" and said the station was "unlikely" to be open by Saturday.
Supt Sandra England said: "Even if some trains are running by tomorrow, there will be an extremely limited service with many delays, cancellations and overcrowding."
She advised football fans travelling to and from Nottingham for matches on Saturday not to attempt to travel by train.
East Midlands Trains said while no-one was injured and everyone was accounted for, all services, including trains to London St Pancras, Liverpool, Leicester and Norwich, have been disrupted.
About 4,600 passengers arrive at Nottingham station during each weekday morning between 07:00 and 10:00, according to the Department for Transport.
The station has recently undergone a £50m redevelopment, incorporating a new tram bridge, including the restoration and upgrade of its Edwardian grade II-listed front building.
Image copyright PA Image caption People were evacuated from Nottingham station
Eyewitness Sarah McMullan said she saw smoke coming from a toilet at the station's car park.
"You don't think much of it when there's a little bit of smoke and police already there, but then we were evacuated," she said.
"It was pretty frightening to see how quickly a fire can grow. You can see billowing smoke and flames above the roof on the far side."
BBC Radio Nottingham's Andy Whittaker said he saw "thick plumes of black smoke" coming from the station.
He said many people were left waiting outside the building after being told to leave.
Image caption Smoke filled the foyer at the station after the fire broke out
Dr Remigius Ilione, 49, said: "I drove into the car park and I could already hear the fire alarm.
"The smoke was so thick that you could not see in front of you."
Queens Road and Carrington Street were closed in both directions, which created heavy traffic on surrounding routes, but while there have been partial reopenings, disruption remains.
There have been reports of 40-minute delays on bus services.
Trams into the city were also disrupted by the fire and a separate incident, but began to run past the station at about 14:30 BST.
