A gas leak in central London early Tuesday morning forced two railway stations to close and about 1,500 people nearby to be evacuated.

The gas leak was detected at about 2 am Tuesday on Craven Street, near famous London landmarks Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery. It caused Charing Cross station and Waterloo East station, along with nearby roads, to be closed.

Commuters were warned of major Tuesday morning rush-hour disruption, with services diverted into other London railway stations, including Victoria, Cannon Street and Blackfriars. National Rail said Southeastern trains might be cancelled, delayed or diverted all morning.

The evacuation of people happened across the Heaven nightclub, the Amba Hotel, and nearby apartments and offices. The Strand, a major road through central London, was closed entirely.

The Metropolitan Police said the exclusion zone was put in place while officers worked with the London Fire Brigade and engineers to fix the leak.

London's ageing gas pipe network is suspected to be the cause of the gas leak, but this is not confirmed.

Brett Loft, London Fire Brigade spokesman and station manager at Chelsea, was quoted in The Telegraph as saying similar leaks “happened a few times recently”.

Tuesday’s incident is the second time in recent weeks that hundreds of people have been evacuated in London due to a gas leak, following an incident on Horseferry Road in Westminster on Jan 9.