A trackside grass fire has halted train services between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport, causing major delays and cancellations.
National Rail said all lines between Paddington and Heathrow’s terminals, as well as Reading, were blocked after the fire caused a failure in the electricity supply. Major disruption was expected to continue until the end of Saturday.
The London Fire Brigade said six fire engines and around 40 crew members were tackling the blaze near Scrubs Lane in North Kensington.
Great Western Railway cancelled its services to Reading. Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express services between Paddington and Heathrow were also suspended.
Pictures shared on social media showed crowds of stranded passengers at Paddington. Heathrow Airport advised passengers to allow extra time for their journeys, while warning that the Piccadilly line was also experiencing delays.
The disruption came hours after a separate grass fire on Heathrow’s airfield temporarily closed the airport’s southern runway. At least two flights were diverted, while Heathrow said the fire had been extinguished quickly and apologised for the disruption.
