Morning Update
We are providing live updates on travel disruption stemming from a fire in the vicinity of London Paddington Station.
For images or details, reach out to olivia.carter@newsquest.co.uk
Incident Overview
A fire erupted alongside the railway tracks close to London Paddington Station during the early hours.
Rail Services Halted
All routes have been shut down because of the fire near the station.
Rail services are not running between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport or Reading.
Impacted Routes
Elizabeth line services between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 4, Heathrow Terminal 5, and Reading
Great Western Railway services between London Paddington and Swindon, Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Oxford, Great Malvern, Hereford, Swansea, Carmarthen, Weston-super-Mare, and Exeter St Davids
Heathrow Express services between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5
Extended Disruption Expected
National Rail has stated that significant disruption will continue until at least 12pm today.
Guidance for Elizabeth line Passengers
Elizabeth line passengers impacted by the suspension of services between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport or Reading may travel at no additional cost on:
South Western Railway services between London Waterloo and Reading (note: engineering works are also in progress). Travel directions are as follows:
Board a train from Reading to Virginia Water
From Virginia Water, take the rail replacement bus to Hounslow
From Hounslow, continue by train to London Waterloo
As an alternative, passengers may use the London Underground (suggested for those traveling to or from Heathrow Airport), or London and local bus services between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport or Reading.
Additional Fire Details
The fire started in a depot adjacent to London Paddington station.
Power had to be disconnected for safety purposes.
Heathrow Express Halted
Those planning to use Heathrow Express services are advised that operations are currently suspended.
Fire Put Out
The earlier fire beside the tracks at a depot in the London Paddington area has been extinguished and power has been reinstated.
Recovery Will Require Time
Following the earlier fire, rail services in the area continue to experience substantial disruption.
National Rail has indicated that service restoration will require “some time” on the affected routes.
Services may face cancellations, significant delays of up to 60 minutes, or alterations.
Guidance for Great Western Railway Passengers
Passengers may use their tickets at no additional cost on the following services:
Chiltern Railways via any reasonable route
South Western Railway via any reasonable route
Delay Update
Delays have now decreased to approximately 20 minutes for affected services, down from the previous hour-long estimate.
Additional services may still face cancellations or modifications.
Disruption Persists
While disruption was initially anticipated until 12pm, it remains in effect.
Remaining Impact
According to National Rail, only Great Western Railway continues to be affected following the earlier fire.
Disruption is anticipated to continue until 1.30pm.
No Longer Impacted
As previously noted, the Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express are no longer affected since power has been restored.
Great Western Railway disruption is still expected to continue until 1.30pm.
Situation Concluded
The situation has now been resolved.
Our live blog is concluding.