Major disruption affected train services to and from Heathrow Airport on Saturday after a trackside grass fire led to delays and cancellations. National Rail indicated that the "major disruption" was anticipated to persist until the end of the day.
The incident, which commenced shortly after 4:00 PM BST, resulted in all lines being blocked between London Paddington station and Heathrow's terminals, as well as services to Reading. This blockage was attributed to a failure in the electricity supply caused by a fire adjacent to the track.
The disruption led to significant passenger congestion at Paddington station, a primary rail hub in London. Great Western Railway canceled services to Reading, and both the Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express services between Paddington and Heathrow were suspended on Saturday evening.
Heathrow Airport advised passengers to allow additional travel time, noting that the Piccadilly line, which also serves the airport, was experiencing delays.
This incident occurred hours after a separate grass fire on Heathrow's airfield had prompted the closure of a runway earlier on Saturday. That fire caused some disruption, leading to at least two flight diversions. Heathrow Airport issued an apology for any inconvenience and stated the fire was quickly extinguished.
Weeks prior, another grass fire near Heathrow's southern runway necessitated the diversion of 18 flights and damaged a considerable area of grassland. Despite recent cooling weather across parts of the UK, fire services continue to warn of wildfire risks. The Met Office's Fire Severity Index indicates a "high" fire severity for most of southeast England and parts of the Midlands. In some areas of London, including Heathrow, as well as along the Essex and Suffolk coasts, the fire severity is classified as "exceptional," the highest level on the index.