Flaming train speeds through London, flooding 911 with calls

Stunned onlookers flooded 911 with calls late Sunday as a train engulfed in flames travelled across London, a spectacular scene that ended with no injuries.

London Fire Department officials say the emergency calls from residents in west London began at 10:49 p.m. as the eastbound five-car train crossed the city with flames shooting from it. In one video posted to social media, it appeared the flames were reaching several feet high.

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Fire officials say the cars were carrying old wooden railway ties – “no dangerous goods involved.” They praised Canadian Pacific Railway crews with disconnecting locomotives and allowing firefighters to battle the blaze near the downtown-area intersection of Waterloo Street and Pall Mall Street.

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While nearby residents were initially told to stay indoors, by midnight that warning was lifted.

“There is no smoke in (the) area and winds are calm,” fire officials wrote on social media. “There is no further precaution to stay indoors and close windows in the area of Pall Mall and Waterloo.”

After the flames were put out the cars were moved to the rail yard on Quebec Street, where firefighters continued to douse them.

Damage to the train was estimated at $25,000, fire officials said, noting there was also $10,000 damage to a Drewlo Holdings building adjacent to where the train was stopped while firefighters battled the blaze. The cause was under investigation by Canadian Pacific Railway officials.

Londoner Jeremy McCall posted a video to X, formerly Twitter, of the flaming train moving at what appeared to be full speed through London. He credited the video to a friend, Ty Lewis. The footage appeared to show the train crossing the west-end Oxford Street overpass, eliciting stunned reactions from viewers.

“Oh my god, that’s terrifying,” one woman wrote in reply.

“This is frightening,” added another.

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