Victoria station a 'crowded hellhole' one day after TfL warns commuters to steer clear

Victoria station was described as a “crowded hellhole” this morning after thousands of commuters ignored a warning from Tube bosses to stay away during rush hour.

Commuters struggled to get to the London Underground station after a faulty train sparked severe delays on the Victoria line.

The disruption came 24 hours after transport bosses sent a mass email warning passengers to avoid the station's Tube platforms between 8am and 9am.

The heavy crowding suggested many were unable to follow the advice.

One commuter shared a picture of crammed workers queing for the Tube station entrance, writing: "No photo can adequately illustrate how much of a crowded hell-hole Victoria station is this morning."

Alli Albion wrote: "Travel report for Victoria station = f****** chaos."

Another simply tweeted: "And that is why I never travel in peak time. Victoria station is a nightmare."

The broken-down train had triggered heavy delays between Brixton and Victoria. A spokeswoman for TfL apologised for the delays, which had eased by about 9.30am.

In his email on Tuesday, Vernon Everitt, managing director for customer experience, marketing and communications at TfL, wrote: "Over 30,000 customers start their Tube journey at this station which is particularly busy between 8am and 9am.

"If you are able to travel outside of these times you could board a train more quickly and have a more comfortable journey."

But many commuters said they had little choice over the timing of their journeys.

Josie Blacknell, 32, an office administrator who works in Fulham, told the Standard on Tuesday: "They need to find a solution rather than asking people to be more flexible because some people can’t be more flexible because of the hours they work."

Meanwhile on Wednesday, rail users faced misery at a number of stations across London.

A power failure between Grays and West Ham meant c2c trains into Fenchurch Street were being cancelled or diverted to Upminster.

Travellers were also faced with a raft of delays and cancellations to and from Euston.

Virgin Trains and London Midland services into Euston were disrupted due to the heavy rain, which flooded lines near Milton Keynes.

Cancellations and delays of up to 60 minutes were expected to last until midday.