King’s Cross station has reopened after planned engineering works during Christmas overran. The closure caused major overcrowding at Finsbury Park station, where passengers travelling north were diverted.

However, the station was later closed when volumes of passengers reached dangerous levels.

There were no East Coast, West Coast and Great Western trains running on Boxing Day, while Midland, Cross Country and East Anglia services also suffered partial cancellations.

Services between Euston and Hemel Hempstead were also suspended until December 29th due to planned engineering works, which were completed on time.

A Department for Transport spokesman said the delays were "extremely disappointing". He added: “The department is in contact with Network Rail to understand what went wrong and if lessons can be learned for the future."

An independent investigation by the Office of the Rail Regulator has been launched to determine the cause of the disruptions, which could lead to a substantial fine.