Grass fire shuts Heathrow rail links, stranding passengers at London’s Paddington hub
Train services to and from Heathrow Airport stopped on Saturday after a grass fire beside the tracks near London’s Paddington station knocked out the electri...
Train services to and from Heathrow Airport stopped on Saturday after a grass fire beside the tracks near London’s Paddington station knocked out the electricity supply and brought rail traffic to a standstill. National Rail warned of “major disruption” through the end of the day, with some services now expected to feel the impact into Sunday morning.
The fire started shortly after 4 p.m. BST near Scrubs Lane in North Kensington, a short distance from one of Britain’s busiest rail gateways. All lines between Paddington and Heathrow’s terminals were blocked, along with services toward Reading. Pictures posted on social media showed passengers waiting in crowds at Paddington, unable to reach airport trains or other westbound services.
Fire crews race to the scene
London Fire Brigade said six fire engines and around 40 crew members were sent to tackle the blaze. Network Rail Western said late on Saturday that the fire had been extinguished, but cautioned that disruption would continue. The rail operator said some services could still be affected into Sunday morning.
Great Western Railway cancelled its services to Reading, while no Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express trains were running between Paddington and Heathrow on Saturday night. The airport advised passengers to leave extra time for journeys, as the transport fallout spread across west London.
Second Heathrow fire adds to the chaos
The rail shutdown came only hours after another grass fire on Heathrow’s airfield forced a runway closure earlier on Saturday. That left the airport dealing with two separate incidents in one day, each affecting a different part of the travel network that serves Europe’s busiest air hubs.
One separate report said fire crews also helped evacuate 380 passengers stranded on an Elizabeth line train. Photos from the Paddington area showed thick smoke rising over the station approaches, while the suspended services left many travellers looking for alternatives at short notice.
Passengers heading for Heathrow were advised to use other London transport links, though the Piccadilly line was also reported to be facing severe delays between Heathrow and Acton Town. The episode exposed how quickly a small trackside fire can ripple through an airport rail corridor used by commuters, airline passengers and long-distance travellers alike.
