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Lightning strike at Dover Priory causes delays on Southeastern services to Ashford, Thanet, Faversham, Folkestone and much of Kent rail network

00:00, 27 March 2014

updated: 19:25, 27 March 2014

Rail services across Kent were getting back to normal this morning after a lightning strike caused severe disruption to services on Thursday.

Commuters faced nightmare journeys home last night after lightning caused a series of fires at sub-stations on the line between Sandling and Dover Priory.

It led to dozens of services being cancelled or delayed, with passengers being forced to find alternative routes home.

No high-speed or mainline services were running between Dover and Ashford.

Dramatic lightning strike. Photo by @davidshackle
Dramatic lightning strike. Photo by @davidshackle

Buses replaced trains between Ramsgate and Ashford via Dover while services between St Pancras and Sandwich terminated at Ashford. Services between Faversham and Dover terminated at Shepherdswell.

The freak weather also delayed trains travelling from France, with Eurostar trains delayed in Calais.

A spokesman for the operator said 'several hundred' passengers would have been affected by the Eurostar delays, which lasted for up to four hours.

Kent Fire and Rescue said this morning that the lightning strikes had not led to any injuries.

For travel updates throughout the day, tune into kmfm.

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