M25 closed after truck caught fire while Dartford Tunnel was closed all day

A lorry has gone up in flames, closing part of the M25 and prompting emergency services to be called.

The truck caught fire on the highway between Clacket Lane and Junction 6, near Godstone in Surrey, at 10pm on Sunday.

Dozens of firefighters from Kent and Surrey fire services battled the blaze which closed the M25 in both directions overnight.

The M25 is expected to remain closed until at least Monday afternoon, while two of the four anti-clockwise lanes were open from 6.10am.

The incident also closed the M26 westbound between J2A near Wrotham Heath and M25/A21. Diversions have been provided.

Meanwhile, the Dartford Tunnel has been partially closed after a maintenance vehicle leaked hydraulic fluid during overnight work.

National Highways South-East reports that the East Tunnel is likely to be closed all day as it requires emergency repairs before it can reopen.

It warns that there are currently delays of one hour on the approach to the tunnel, which carries traffic north from Kent to Essex.

On the Tube, commuters faced peak hour disruptions on the Northern Line due to a signal failure on London Bridge.

Follow the latest updates below…

Important things to know this morning

• The M25 clockwise is expected to be closed until midday following a lorry fire

• The Dartford Tunnel is likely to be partially closed throughout the day, with motorists currently experiencing delays of up to an hour

• South-eastern trains to and from Victoria and Blackfriars were disrupted during the morning peak

Photo shows recovery operation on M25 after truck fire

08:42 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

In a photo shared by National Highways on

A crane can be seen lifting the burnt-out wreckage of the truck off the road. Other pieces of blackened rubble and parts of twisted wreckage litter the road.

Northern Line delays downgraded to ‘minor’

08:38 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

The serious delays on the Noordlijn have now come to an end. There are now minor delays on the line and there is a good service on all other tube lines, as well as the DLR and London Overground, TfL says.

People traveling to Gatwick Airport by road are urged to check the M25 status

8:30 am , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Gatwick is urging all passengers traveling to the airport by road today to check the status of the M25 amid ongoing traffic chaos following last night’s lorry fire.

“It may be worthwhile to consider alternative transport to the airport, for example by train,” the airport said on X.

The M25 is closed clockwise between junctions 5 and 6. Gatwick Airport is close to the closure area, at junction 7.

A diversion has been put in place on the M25 and M26

08:03 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Diversions are currently in place for motorists traveling clockwise on the M25 and M26 westbound, which remain closed.

M25 diversion:

Road users traveling clockwise are advised to follow the hollow triangular diversion symbol on road signs, National Highways said.

• At M25 junction 5 follow the A21 and then take the second exit on the A25 towards Westerham.

• Follow the A25 through Sundridge, Brasted, Westerham, Limpsfield and Oxted.

• Continue on the A25 towards Godstone to the A25/A22 roundabout.

• Take the 3rd exit off the A22 towards London to M25 exit 6 “Godstone Interchange” and take the 2nd exit onto the M25 towards Gatwick again.

M26 diversion:

Road users intending to use the M26 are advised to follow the diversion route below and then the diversion route above for the closure from J5 of the M25 (hollow triangle).

• Leave the M26 at J2A and take the third exit onto the M20 at J2.

• Continue on the M20 to J1 and then join the M25 at J3, clockwise.

• Continue on the M25 towards J5 to resume your planned journey.

What is the current situation on the M25?

07:35 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

The M25 in Surrey/Kent remains closed clockwise between J5 at Sevenoaks and J6 at Godstone/Caterham following a serious truck fire that occurred last night.

The left-hand lane has reopened, but two of the four lanes within J6 remain closed.

As a result, the M26 westbound between J2A near Wrotham Heath and M25/A21 has also been closed.

The clockwise M25 is likely to remain closed until at least midday so the truck wreckage can be removed. The road will probably also have to be rebuilt.

Severe delays on the Northern Line

07:27 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

TfL warns of serious delays on the Northern Line between Kennington and Camden Town via Bank.

The delays only affect the northbound route and are caused by a previous train failure.

There is a good service on the rest of the line and on the rest of the TfL network.

South-eastern trains to and from Victoria and Blackfriars have been disrupted

07:06

Overflowing works in London Victoria have disrupted services in the south east to and from Victoria and Blackfriars stations this morning.

Services may be canceled or delayed, with disruption expected to last into the morning peak until around 10.30am, National Rail said.

Some trains on the following routes have been canceled due to trains being stuck at the depot in Victoria:

• London Blackfriars – Beckenham Junction

• London Victoria-Orpington

• London Victoria – Dover Priory / Ramsgate

Hours of delays as the Dartford Tunnel will be partially closed all day

06:48 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

There are currently 60 minute delays at all accesses to the Dartford Tunnel.

The East Tunnel was closed overnight so maintenance work could be carried out, but it appears a truck involved in the work broke down, causing hydraulic fluid to leak into the tunnel.

The “major spill” means the tunnel now requires emergency repair work, National Highways says.

“Due to the extent of the work, the eastern tunnel will remain closed all day,” it just said on X. “There are serious delays on all approaches.”

Dartford Tunnel closed

06:36 , Michael Howie

The Dartford Tunnel is currently closed due to an issue with overnight maintenance work.

A truck has leaked hydraulic fluid onto the road, requiring emergency repairs according to National Highways.

M25 truck fire

06:31 , Michael Howie

The M25 is currently closed clockwise between junctions 5 and 6 after a lorry caught fire around 10pm last night.

The highway was closed in both directions for several hours due to the incident, prompting emergency services to arrive on the scene.

Two of the four counterclockwise lanes have now reopened.

However, it is expected to remain closed clockwise until at least midday as specialist repairs take place and resurfacing work is likely to be required.

Good morning

06:28 , Michael Howie

Welcome to the Standard’s coverage of travel news this Monday morning.

As the day progresses, we’ll bring you all the major developments.