Train station inferno sparks travel chaos trains as fire crews battle roof blaze

The fire broke out shortly after midnight, fire crews confirmed(Image: Supplied)

Fire crews battled for six hours to extinguish a huge blaze which tore through a restaurant on the platform of a busy train station, on Thursday morning (April 9).

Firefighters from Suffolk and Norfolk worked together at the commercial building inside Suffolk's Oulton Broad North railway station with images uploaded to social media showing the restaurant's roof completely alight. "Residents are being asked to avoid the area, if possible, due to the congestion caused by the number of emergency vehicles present," Suffolk County Council warned in a statement.

By 6am the flames had been brought under control, though cancellations were predicted until 10am as crews remained on scene to damp down hotspots.

Roads around the station are beginning to reopen, but Suffolk County Council has asked residents to avoid the area due to congestion caused by the large emergency response.

Rail services through the station have been halted, with Greater Anglia confirming that tickets will be accepted on local bus routes between Lowestoft, Norwich and Great Yarmouth until trains resume.

"After a serious fire at Oulton Broad North caused severe damage to a building at the station, overnight, trains are unable to run through the station," a spokesperson for National Rail said, with cancellations expected until 10am. "The Fire Brigade, Police and Network Rail engineers are on site, ensuring that the fire has been extinguished, investigating and looking to make all structures on the station safe."

A spokesperson for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said: "6:00am update - the fire is now out, and crews remain on the scene to hot spot the area. Crews from Norfolk are departing, and we thank them for their support. Roads around the station are reopening now, but local residents are being asked to avoid the area if possible.

"Fire crews were called to reports of a fire at a commercial building at Oulton Broad North Railway Station. Upon arrival crews were faced with a roof fire within a restaurant based within the Railway station on the platform."