A fire near London's Paddington station on Saturday afternoon resulted in an electricity supply failure, causing significant disruption to rail services, including those to and from Heathrow Airport. Photos shared on social media depicted smoke rising above the Paddington area.
National Rail confirmed that all lines between Paddington and Heathrow were blocked due to the electrical failure. Consequently, Heathrow Express and Reading overground services were suspended. Transport for London reported that the Elizabeth Line experienced suspensions between Paddington and Heathrow terminals four and five, with severe delays on the line towards Abbey Wood.
Great Western Railway advised passengers that services could be cancelled, delayed, or terminated at Reading until at least 7 p.m. The airport's official account on X warned travelers to allow extra time for their journeys.
Separately, earlier on Saturday, a grass fire adjacent to Heathrow's southern runway led to its temporary closure. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, and the runway later reopened. This earlier incident caused flight delays, with some flights diverted to Manchester and Birmingham.
Heathrow Airport confirmed the southern runway reopened and thanked emergency responders, apologizing for any disruption and thanking passengers for their patience.