Frustrated rail passengers vaulted the barriers at London Bridge station on Tuesday evening (March 3) as police were called to control rush hour crowds.

Photos taken at the overcrowded station showed commuters jumping over ticket gates, which had been shut to try to control the chaos. 

In some images, men can be seen on the floor trapped by the gates after either attempting to crawl under or falling over as they tried to catch their trains.

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London Bridge station has experienced overcrowding issues since large-scale redevelopment began in January.

Trains were severely delayed due to a person on the tracks near Streatham Common and signalling problems south of the station.

Lines were closed from 4.20pm until 5.05pm with a knock-on effect of delays and cancellations throughout the evening.

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British Transport Police (BTP) were called to help control the crowds but could not stop some passengers from hopping over and sliding under the barriers.

A Network Rail spokesperson said a queuing system was put in place soon after 5pm but BTP advised the doors were temporarily closed due to the huge number of people arriving at the station.

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Commuters were angry amid the chaos, with many expressing their frustration on Twitter.

Joe Kallas tweeted: "Avoid London Bridge like the plague. @SouthernRailUK you have outdone yourselves."

Meanwhile Gabriella Griffith tweeted: "London Bridge has reached peak chaos."

Network Rail’s route managing director for the south east Dave Ward, said: “I understand how difficult last night was for many of our passengers and they showed great patience and understanding in what was a very tough situation.

“The railway around south London is so busy that if one train is delayed by just one minute it will delay 17 other services as a result. That is why the Thameslink Programme is so important to the future of our railway.

“At peak time, the effect of closing the railway even for 45 minutes has massive effect and we have to manage our stations carefully to help get people home safely.

“We will as a matter of course be reviewing our plans and the events of last night to see what, if any, lessons can be learned.”

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