A trackside grass fire near Heathrow Airport on Saturday, 5 September 2026, caused all train services to and from the airport to be halted shortly after 16:00 BST, resulting in major disruption.
Rail Lines Blocked Due to Electrical Failure
All rail lines between London Paddington station, Heathrow terminals, and Reading were blocked due to a failure of the electricity supply triggered by the fire next to the track. National Rail described the situation as “major disruption” expected to last until the end of Saturday.
Fire Brigade Response and Ongoing Disruption
The London Fire Brigade deployed six fire engines and approximately 40 crew members to tackle the fire near Scrubs Lane, North Kensington. Network
Rail Western reported the fire was extinguished late on Saturday but warned that rail disruption could continue into Sunday morning for some services.
Rail Operator Cancellations and Impact on Airport Access
Great Western Railway cancelled services to Reading. No Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express services operated between Paddington and Heathrow on Saturday night. Delays on the Piccadilly line further affected access to Heathrow Airport. Crowds of passengers were stranded at London Paddington station amid the disruption. Heathrow Airport advised passengers to allow extra time for journeys due to ongoing delays.
Earlier on Saturday, a separate grass fire on Heathrow’s southern runway forced a temporary closure of the runway.
At least two flights were diverted because of the incident. Heathrow Airport apologized for the disruption, stating the fire was extinguished quickly. Similar grass fires near the airport weeks prior had previously caused 18 flight diversions and significant grassland damage.
The Met Office Fire Severity Index rated fire severity as “exceptional” in parts of London including Heathrow and indicated “high” severity across much of south-east England on the day of the incident, reflecting a continued wildfire risk in the region.
National Rail summarized: “major disruption was expected until the end of Saturday following the incident which began shortly after 16:00
BST. A statement said all lines were blocked between London Paddington station and Heathrow’s terminals, as well as Reading, due to a failure of the electricity supply caused by a fire next to the track.”
