Major disruption as grass fire hits Heathrow train links
A trackside grass fire near London's Paddington station caused major disruptions to Heathrow Airport rail links, including the Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express. Services have since resumed, though residual delays persist following the incident.
Why it matters
Infrastructure failures caused by environmental incidents like grass fires highlight the vulnerability of major transport hubs to climate-related disruptions.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Departure boards appeared to have gone blank at Paddington as train services were cut into Saturday evening
Trains to and from Heathrow Airport were halted after a trackside grass fire caused delays and cancellations.
National Rail said there was a "major disruption" to services 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".
In an update on Sunday morning, rail operators said the fire had been extinguished and normal services had resumed.
Pictures on social media showed crowds of stranded passengers at Paddington, one of London's main rail hubs.
London Fire Brigade said six fire engines and around 40 crew members were tackling the blaze near Scrubs Lane, North Kensington.
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