All lines between London Paddington station, Reading, and Heathrow’s terminals were blocked following an electricity supply failure caused by a trackside grass fire near Scrubs Lane in North Kensington, according to National Rail and the London Fire Brigade. The incident began shortly after 16:00 BST on Saturday. The London Fire Brigade deployed six fire engines and approximately 40 crew members to tackle the blaze. Great Western Railway cancelled services to Reading, while neither the Elizabeth line nor the Heathrow Express operated between Paddington and Heathrow on Saturday night, leaving crowds of passengers stranded at Paddington station, according to BBC reports.
Trackside Fire Halts Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line Services
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Runway Closure and Met Office Wildfire Warnings
Earlier on Saturday, Heathrow Airport closed its southern runway while crews extinguished a separate grass fire on the airfield, resulting in at least two diverted flights, according to airport statements. Heathrow reported that the airfield fire was extinguished quickly and apologized for the disruption. The incident occurred weeks after another grass fire near the same runway destroyed a large area of grassland and forced 18 flights to divert. Although autumn weather has cooled across the UK following summer heatwaves, fire crews continue to warn of high wildfire risks. The Met Office’s Fire Severity Index reported an “exceptional” fire severity level—the highest on the index—for parts of London including Heathrow, alongside high severity across most of south-east England and parts of the Midlands.
Network Recovery and Passenger Advice
Network Rail Western stated late on Saturday that the trackside fire had been extinguished, but warned passengers that major disruption would persist into Sunday morning due to displaced trains. Heathrow Airport advised travelers to leave extra time for their journeys, noting that the Piccadilly line also experienced delays. Services on Sunday morning faced residual delays and cancellations across affected routes as operators worked to restore normal timetables.
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