Fire at Potters Bar bus depot has led to dozens of vehicles being taken out of service, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Buses in Enfield Town (credit Enfield Council) — *A 231 bus in Enfield Town (credit Enfield Council)*

Bus services in Enfield and Barnet have been hit by disruption after a fire broke out at a depot in Hertfordshire.

Transport for London (TfL) confirmed it had taken around 90 buses out of service temporarily in response to the fire at the Metroline bus garage in Potters Bar on Sunday (22nd).

It said the vehicles were removed either because of the fire or because they were manufactured by electric vehicle maker Switch Mobility.

The routes that were affected by a reduced service on Monday were:

134 North Finchley – Warren Street
231 Enfield Chase – Turnpike Lane
317 Enfield Town – Waltham Cross
263 Highbury Barn – Barnet Hospital
307 Brimsdown Station – Barnet Hospital
W8 Chase Farm Hospital – Lee Valley Leisure Complex

Six buses – two electric hybrid and four diesel-powered – were on fire at the height of the bus depot blaze, according to Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The service added that the cause and origin of the fire “is currently under investigation and is yet to be established”.

A Metroline spokesperson confirmed that all personnel were successfully evacuated and that there were no injuries, adding that the company would “work closely with the emergency services to investigate the cause of the fire”.

A TfL spokesperson said: “As a precaution, Switch Mobility has asked all operators that use its double decker electric buses to temporarily withdraw them from service while it conducts an investigation and carries out safety checks.

“We have arrangements in place to minimise any disruption on the routes where these buses operate. We apologise to any customers who are experiencing disruption to their bus service.”

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.