A grass fire beside the railway near Scrubs Lane, North Kensington, caused an electricity failure shortly after 16:00 BST on Saturday, September 5, 2026, leading to the suspension of all train services between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport’s terminals, as well as routes towards Reading. The disruption affected key transport operators including the Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth Line, and Great Western Railway (GWR).
Fire Response and Passenger Evacuations
The London Fire Brigade deployed six fire engines and approximately 40 firefighters to extinguish the blaze, which was reported around 16:10 BST. Due to the power failure and blockage of lines, 380 passengers stranded on an Elizabeth
Line train were evacuated with assistance from Transport for London.
Rail Service Impact and Operator Responses
Great Western Railway cancelled all services to Reading on Saturday evening, while Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line services between Paddington and Heathrow were suspended. The power outage blocked all lines on these routes, interrupting connections to the airport. Social media images showed significant smoke near Paddington during the incident. By Sunday morning, September 6, National Rail confirmed that disruptions to all affected rail services had ended.
Airport Disruption and Flight Diversions
Separately, a grass fire earlier on Saturday at Heathrow’s airfield forced the temporary closure of one runway and led to the diversion of at
least two flights. Heathrow Airport issued an apology for inconvenience and urged passengers to allow extra time for travel. The airport also warned of delays on the Piccadilly line, compounding transport challenges for travelers.
Sunday Service Resumption and Ongoing Works
On Sunday morning, pre-planned engineering works affected some rail lines between London Paddington and Burnham, as well as between Paddington and Ealing Broadway. Elizabeth Line trains did not operate between London Paddington and Ealing Broadway until 7:40 am on September 6, after which services to and from Maidenhead and Reading ran on amended timetables. Great Western Railway rescheduled early trains, and a reduced local service operated
between London Paddington and Reading and Didcot Parkway.
Additionally, a power cut at Manor Park early Sunday morning prevented trains from stopping at the station, causing non-stop runs between Ilford and Forest Gate. Network Rail Western noted that while the fire was extinguished late Saturday, the positioning of trains may cause residual delays on Sunday morning.
Official Warnings and Passenger Advice
Heathrow Airport and Transport for London advised travelers to anticipate longer journey times due to these disruptions. Authorities emphasized the importance of allowing additional travel time, particularly given ongoing delays on the Piccadilly line and effects of the fire-related power outage impacting rail services
near Heathrow.
