Train services are now running as normal this morning following a fire on railway station platform.

Maidstone East was evacuated after the blaze broke out in a newsagents on the London-bound platform shortly before 8pm yesterday.

Plumes of smoke were seen coming from the site, in Station Road.

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Commuters faced delays this morning after the incident affected staff facilities at the station, meaning some staff members have had to travel to Maidstone via Ashford.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel.

In the aftermath, one eyewitness said at least three fire engines and one police car were at the scene.

A spokesman for Southeastern said there were initially cancellations to services on all lines between Ashford International and Otford.

Trains were still stopping on the Ashford-bound side to let passengers off.

However, the line was reopened shortly before 9.30pm.

The first train since the fire started pulled into the station at around 9.50pm. The service, from London to Ashford, was approximately an hour late.

Trains are still using platform 2, but platform 1 remains cordoned off.

The station was evacuated and closed and all approaches to the site were taped off, but have now reopened.

Eyewitnesses say the newsagents has been completely gutted.

Crews entered the single-storey property wearing breathing apparatus and used a fog spike and two hose reel jets to tackle the flames.

Once they were extinguished the site was left in the care of the police.

The cause is thought to be an electrical fault.

The fire appears to have started in a drinks refrigerator.

Leaseholder of the newsagents, Zouheir Ktifi, spoke of his devastation at finding out that the shop had been gutted.

He said: “We are just here now trying to find out what has caused it.

“We have called the insurers and need to see how we go on tomorrow because this shop is responsible for the provision of seven other shops in Kent in terms of deliveries, the bundles of newspapers and stock.

“We have to wait until daylight to see the extent of the damage but it looks like everything is gone.

“It’s my livelihood gone. It’s a loss, an interruption to business and no one needs it.

“It’s upsetting for staff who don’t have a job to come to tomorrow.”

The newsagent, which employs five members of staff, had closed at 7pm.

Mr Ktifi said an assessment would be done tomorrow, when more would be known about how much damage had been caused and when the shop might be repaired.

Taxi driver David Stevens noticed smoke pouring from the station as he went to collect a fare.

He said: “The fire brigade were already there and there was lots of smoke. I saw one of the fire crew open the shutter and just billowing flames coming out.

“The station staff were keen to get people back because of the smoke inhalation and then they cordoned the road off.

“Sunday is usually a quiet time for us so it was a shock.”

It comes weeks after a huge blaze ripped through parts of Maidstone town centre, gutting a number of stores and causing significant damage to neighbouring businesses.

Adam Stajer, 21, was arrested in connection with the incident and subsequently charged with arson.

Police are still appealing for witnesses to come forward.

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