A trackside grass fire at Scrubs Lane, Kensal Green, triggered an electricity supply failure that blocked all railway lines between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport on Saturday afternoon.
The London Fire Brigade was alerted at 16:06 BST and extinguished the fire by 16:26 BST. The incident caused an immediate suspension of train services including the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line.
Impact on Heathrow Train Services
Approximately 380 passengers were stranded aboard an Elizabeth Line train and safely evacuated by the London Fire Brigade and Transport for London. The fire disrupted services to Heathrow’s Terminals 2&3 and Terminal 5, leading to cancellations and delays.
A man
was arrested on suspicion of arson connected to the fire and has been released on bail pending further investigation, according to British Transport Police.
Ongoing Disruptions and Service Adjustments
While some train operations resumed on Sunday, the Elizabeth Line ran only two trains per hour to and from Heathrow Terminal 5 and continued experiencing delays. Heathrow Express trains operated at reduced frequency.
Great Western Railway canceled or revised services to Reading and suspended stops at Slough, Maidenhead, and Twyford. The Piccadilly Line continued serving Heathrow Airport but encountered some delays.
Pre-planned engineering work on Sunday morning between London Paddington, Burnham, and Ealing Broadway compounded disruptions,
with line closures continuing until 07:40 BST.
Heathrow Airport Southern Runway Closure
Separately, a grass fire on the Heathrow airfield caused the airport’s southern runway to close temporarily on Saturday, affecting flight operations. The closure led to the diversion of at least two flights to other airports.
London Fire Brigade deployed six fire engines and about 40 firefighters to address the train trackside blaze, while a further response attended the airfield fire.
Official Statements and Passenger Guidance
National Rail confirmed the electricity supply disruption blocked all rail lines between Paddington and Heathrow following the fire. The London Fire Brigade detailed its deployment of six fire engines and 40 firefighters to
tackle the blaze.
British Transport Police acknowledged the arson arrest. Great Western Railway described the damage as “quite severe” and announced service revisions but stated it was providing a good service where possible.
Heathrow Airport apologized for inconvenience caused by the runway closure and confirmed quick control of the fire.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said, “The Brigade’s Control officers received the call alerting them at 1606, and the incident was over by 1626.” Great Western Railway added, “Unfortunately the damage is quite severe so this is taking time.”
Passengers traveling to Heathrow were advised to use the Piccadilly Line
as an alternative route amid ongoing Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express disruptions.
