A burst water main brought a busy level crossing in Chertsey to a standstill yesterday (August 4) and prompted an emergency services response.

Images of a geyser-like jet of water shooting metres into the air from massive cracks in the tarmac circulated on social media Tuesday as authorities scrambled to respond to the incident.

The burst water main was controlled by private supplier Affinity Water, who said in a statement that the repair work would last into Wednesday:

"Due to the water main being next to the railway line, we have been working closely with Network Rail to arrange a safe time to begin repairs and minimise disruption to commuters.

"The repairs are planned to take place through the night from Wednesday 5 August and our teams will complete preparation works for the repair today.

"We have adjusted our network to ensure all customers in the area continue to receive a water supply," a spokesperson for Affinity said.

They also offered an apology for any disruption caused by the burst water main to residents in the area:

"We are sorry for the disruption this burst has caused and would like to thank customers and commuters for their patience whilst this work is carried out," the spokesperson added.

Network Rail remarkably said on Tuesday afternoon that "no trains" had been impacted by the incident.

They worked with Affinity and Surrey Police to address the incident as fast as possible.

"It didn't affect trains but there's a fair few @SW_Help passengers who will have seen this gusher this morning at #Chertsey level crossing.

"It's off now, there's no problem with train services and we're working with the water company on how to get this repaired!" A spokesperson for Network Rail Wessex posted to Twitter.

The burst water main closed the Guildford Street where the level crossing is was closed as a result of the rupture.

Affinity continue to work on repairing the water main and said they would offer an update on Thursday (August 5).