Victoria line: Oxford Circus 'evacuated' as faulty train shuts major commuter route

Commuters were hit by rush hour chaos after a faulty train shut down a major stretch of the Victoria line.

Oxford Circus was closed and passengers reported being told urgently to leave the station as they tried to make their way home on Tuesday evening. Police were called but Transport for London said this was routine.

Pictures showed scores of people gathered outside, where displays warned passengers not to enter because of an “emergency”.

TfL said the Victoria line stopped running between Warren Street and Brixton “while [they fixed] a faulty train at Oxford Circus”. Services resumed with severe delays shortly before 8pm.

In a series of tweets, the official Victoria line Twitter account apologised to passengers and said the station was shut to prevent overcrowding.

One reply to a customer read: "There was no evacuation, emergency services are advised whenever there is a faulty train in case they may be needed."

But many passengers claimed they had been ordered to leave.

The chaos comes on the same day King's Cross St Pancras was closed due to overcrowding during the morning rush hour and it was revealed Tube bosses told commuters not to travel through Victoria station at peak times because it was too busy.

TfL has been contacted for further comment.