# London Underground Shut Down After Power Surges **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 7, 2005, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431 "2005-07-07T08:51:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/1 "2005-07-07T08:51:59Z")
All service on London Underground has been suspended after what’s being reported as a series of power surges, and all stations are being evacuated. Good thing this didn’t happen the day before yesterday, eh? ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/2 "2005-07-07T08:58:54Z")
Police said a “major incident” took place without giving more details, and Sky News said a rail collision may have occurred, according to Bloomberg. ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/3 "2005-07-07T09:10:20Z")
Police have reported an explosion on a London bus and “numerous” casualties, Bloomberg says. FTSE 100 Index down 129.1 points, or 2.5%, at 5100.5; Standard & Poor’s 500 futures down 19.4 points at 1179.2. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/4 "2005-07-07T09:11:58Z")
I hope it’s not the action of a disgruntled Council Tax payer, pondering the cost of the 2012 Olympics … ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/5 "2005-07-07T09:17:00Z")
Ananova has reports of an explosion on a bus in Russell Square… [http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm\_1454147.html](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1454147.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d9b06d/32.png) [@Jinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinks)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/6 "2005-07-07T09:18:09Z")
> [@seosamh](#): > > I hope it’s not the action of a disgruntled Council Tax payer, pondering the cost of the 2012 Olympics … BBC News is reporting that they’re being told that there have been 3 explosions so far. I’ve only been hearing of the one so far. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/7 "2005-07-07T09:18:40Z")
This is beginning to look a little serious: > [@The Guardian](#): > > British Transport police said several power surges had caused explosions across the network at Aldgate, Old Street, Kings Cross, Russell Square and Edgware Road. Emergency services crews attended wounded passengers outside Aldgate station, and there were reports of passengers covered in soot emerging from King’s Cross. Travellers emerged from tunnels covered in blood. > Eyewitnesses reported “multiple casualties” at Liverpool Street. One witness who had been in a train at the time of the explosions reported seeing “bodies everywhere” in the carriages and limbs lying in on the floor. Emergency services reported several injuries. Scotland Yard declared the emergency a “major incident”. > > The incidents caused a complete shutdown of the London Underground system, which is thought to be unprecedented. LU confirmed the incidents had been caused by “something to do with the power supply”. > **[News, sport and opinion from the Guardian's US edition | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us)** > > Latest US news, world news, sports, business, opinion, analysis and reviews from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice There are also reports from Sky News of an explosion on a bus at Russell Square. Everybody’s calling each other so mobile networks seem to have crashed. Therefore, if you can’t reach someone, don’t panic. ---
**Author:** ![tirial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@tirial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tirial)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/8 "2005-07-07T09:19:26Z")
According to Sky there have been explosions at Aldgate, Edgware Road, King’s Cross, Old Street and Moorgate. A bus has exploded in Russel Square. ---
**Author:** ![Jinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d9b06d/32.png) [@Jinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinks)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/9 "2005-07-07T09:24:03Z")
This is definitely getting worrying. A power surge on the underground does not cause the top half of a bus to explode. But, if it was terrorists, which people are already beginning to question, why did they not target London yesterday when there were thousands of people crowded together watching the Olympic bid results? I hate jumping on the ‘terrorists!’ line of thought but this is beginning to look orchestrated. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/10 "2005-07-07T09:24:07Z")
The BBC’s website is taking a hammering, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/11 "2005-07-07T09:32:42Z")
Hot damn. I live right next to Euston, near Russell Square (or at least, I do when I’m in London) and I’ve got a friend there now. Gonna send him a text to see if he’s okay… ---
**Author:** ![tirial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@tirial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tirial)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/12 "2005-07-07T09:34:08Z")
If you need information, BBC and [ITV](http://www.itv.com/news/index_13569.html) are both taking a hammering. [Sky News](http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1188265,00.htm) is still up and updating fairly regularly. The mobile networks are generally jammed, although landlines seem to be OK. Email is slow but gets through eventually. This is happening just down the road from the office I’m currently working in (the tube runs under it, and there’s a station 100 yards away) so we are following events pretty closely. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/13 "2005-07-07T09:40:24Z")
> [@Jinks](#): > > But, if it was terrorists, which people are already beginning to question, why did they not target London yesterday when there were thousands of people crowded together watching the Olympic bid results? Turns out all the senior counterterrorism-specialist police are in Scotland for the G8 summit. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/14 "2005-07-07T09:53:19Z")
My Welsh roommate assures me the blast almost certainly did not impact any Welshmen as the areas mentioned so far are full of recent immigrants. Further he is mooting the idea that the train stations are located such that perhaps a single person left bombs on trains and changed to another train to do it again. On the other hand, now is a good time not to spread rumors. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/15 "2005-07-07T10:00:28Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > My Welsh roommate assures me the blast almost certainly did not impact any Welshmen as the areas mentioned so far are full of recent immigrants. He’s plain wrong, and also he’s a moron. [qupte]Further he is mooting the idea that the train stations are located such that perhaps a single person left bombs on trains and changed to another train to do it again. [/QUOTE] Conceivable. The bus explosion seems to have happened after the tube was evacuated, so the streets were full of people. ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/16 "2005-07-07T10:03:26Z")
Sky News is quoting the Metropolitan Police as saying at least six explosions have occurred in London. ---
**Author:** ![BadBadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BadBadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBadger)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/17 "2005-07-07T10:04:30Z")
Brighton and Swindon stations have been closed. I feel sick ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/18 "2005-07-07T10:05:15Z")
One on the Metropolitan line, one or two at Aldgate, one bus and possibly a second south of Liverpool Street…where are the others!!! ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/19 "2005-07-07T10:07:13Z")
There’s at least one more exploded bus in Russell Square, and the Sky tagline says there have been three confirmed explosions on buses. The “power surge” explanation hasn’t been mentioned in the last hour, and the National Grid have said they’ve seen nothing of the sort, so it looks like bombs on the tubes as well. Some doctor quoted on Sky said he saw about 90 “casualties” at Aldgate tube, and there’ve been sporadic reports of “bodies”, but nothing more concrete than that. ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431/20 "2005-07-07T10:07:52Z")
According to the map on the BBC site there was an incident at Edgware Road (perhaps explaining all the sirens going past my department in Praed Street, Paddington). Moorgate also, and something happened at Russell Square (perhaps two Tube trains colliding?) Oh, and **Paul in Saudi** , your friend is a moron. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-underground-shut-down-after-power-surges/311431.md?page=2)