London travel news LIVE: Trains between London Paddington and Heathrow terminals hit by hour-long delays

Jordan King and Jacob Phillips
·15-min read

Trains between London Paddington and Heathrow terminals could be delayed by up to an hour due to the emergency services dealing with an incident between the stations.

The issue is also causing delays between Paddington and Slough.

National Rail has said lines have reopened but while the service recovers there may still be cancellations and 60-minute delays.

The issue is also causing severe delays on the Elizabeth line.

It comes after part of the District Line was forced to shut for around two hours after a car crashed through a fence and collided with a barrier just metres from the Tube track.

Meanwhile, Aslef train strikes have hit the capital’s transport network for a second day in a row.

Fewer London operators are affected on Wednesday but the Heathrow Express and London Northwestern Railway are among them.

On top of this, several of the London operators which saw walkouts on Tuesday are still struggling with delays.

These include Southern, South Western Railway and Thameslink which are expecting late starts or running revised timetables.

Meanwhile a “nationwide issue” with Border Force e-gates that caused chaos at airports across the country into the early hours of Wednesday has been resolved, the Home Office has announced.

Follow the latest updates below...

Live blog ends

22:00 , Jacob Phillips

The Evening Standard’s transport live blog has ended.

Read all the latest travel stories from the Standard here.

No service on Piccadilly Line after casualty on the track

20:27 , Jacob Phillips

There is no service between Acton Town and Hyde Park Corner on the Piccadilly Line while emergency services deal with a casualty on the track.

Trains delayed by 60 minutes between Paddington and Heathrow

19:18 , Jacob Phillips

Trains between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminals may be delayed by an hour due to the emergency services dealing with an incident.

The issue is also causing delays between Paddington and Slough.

National Rail has said lines have reopened but while the service recovers between the stations there may still be cancellations and 60 minute delays.

The issue is also causing severe delays on the Elizabeth Line.

Minor delays on the Elizabeth Line

18:44 , Jacob Phillips

There are currently minor delays between Paddington and Reading as well as to Heathrow terminals on the Elizabeth line.

The issue was caused by a trespasser on the track at Southall.

The Metropolitan Line is now running again but with severe delays following a faulty train at Farringdon.

Half an hour delays on the M25

18:14 , Jacob Phillips

Drivers are facing 30-minute waits on the M25 after a broken down vehicle shut two lanes.

Six miles of congestion have built up following the incident anti-clockwise between Junction 7 (Redhill) and Junction 6 (Godstone).

Trains unable to run on the Metropolitan Line due to faulty train at Farringdon

18:03 , Jacob Phillips

There is currently no service between Aldgate and Baker Street on the Metropolitan Line while Transport for London fix a faulty train at Farringdon. The issue has also created severe delays on the Hammersmith and City Line and the Circle Line.

Disruption between Barnes Bridge and Hounslow until the end of the day

17:44 , Jacob Phillips

Some lines between Barnes and Barnes Bridge have been blocked due to a track circuit failure.

Trains are unable to run on the line between Barnes Bridge and Hounslow in the direction of Feltham.

Services are also running at a reduced speed between Mortlake and Barnes towards London Waterloo.

National Rail has warned of cancellations and delays.

Trains running again on the District Line

17:36 , Jacob Phillips

Transport for London has said trains are running again on the District Line.

Trains were unable to run for around two hours after a car crashed through a barrier near Southfields station shortly before 3pm.

TfL has warned there are still minor delays between Earl’s Court and Wimbledon due to the issue and further delays following a signal failure at Parsons Green. There is a good service on the rest of the line.

Driver 'suffered a medical episode' before car crashed through barrier near District Line

17:23 , Jacob Phillips

A driver is believed to have suffered a medical episode before their vehicle crashed through a barrier near Southfields station.

A spokesman for the British Transport Police said: “Officers were called to the line near Southfields underground station at around 2.55pm today (8 May) following reports that a car had gone through the fences alongside the railway line.

“Officers attended, alongside colleagues from the London Fire Brigade, Network Rail, and the Metropolitan Police Service and work is ongoing to clear any obstructions from the tracks.

“It is believed the driver of the vehicle suffered a medical episode and they have been treated by paramedics.”

Severe delays on London Overground at rush hour

17:16 , Jacob Phillips

There are severe delays on the London Overground at rush hour between Highbury and Islington and Stratford, Transport for London has warned.

The delays are being caused be a signal failure at Stratford.

District Line suspended due to 'vehicle on the embankment'

16:15 , Jacob Phillips

Trains on the District Line appear to have been disrupted by a car on the embankment.

Pictures shared on social media show a car crashed through a barrier close to the train tracks.

Trains delayed at Putney

16:08 , Jacob Phillips

Trains could be delayed or revised due to disruptive passengers at Putney, South Western Railway has warned.

Northern line still delayed

15:21 , Jordan King

The Northern line has been minorly delayed across the whole day - due to a shortage of trains - and this is still the case now.

District line part suspended

15:12 , Jordan King

There is currently no service between Parsons Green and Wimbledon while police respond to an incident at Southfields - good service on the rest of the line.

Metropolitan line no longer delayed

14:59 , Jordan King

The Metropolitan line has returned to running a good service.

Circle line no longer delayed

14:02 , Jordan King

The Circle line has returned to running a good service.

Hammersmith and City line no longer delayed

14:01 , Jordan King

The Hammersmith and City line has returned to running a good service.

Hammersmith and City line delays now minor

13:24 , Jordan King

There are currently minor delays due to an earlier faulty train at Farringdon.

Metropolitan line delays now minor

13:23 , Jordan King

There are currently minor delays due to an earlier faulty train at Farringdon.

Metropolitan line delays now severe

11:54 , Jordan King

There are currently severe delays between Aldgate and Baker Street due to an earlier faulty train at Farringdon.

Hammersmith and City line delays now severe

11:53 , Jordan King

There are currently severe delays between Aldgate East and Baker Street due to an earlier faulty train at Farringdon - minor delays on the rest of the line due to train cancellations.

Severe delays to Circle line

11:52 , Jordan King

There are currently severe delays between Aldgate and Baker Street due to an earlier faulty train at Farringdon - good service on the rest of the line.

Four miles of congestion on M25 over Vehicle on fire

11:48 , Jordan King

Three out of four lanes are closed on the M25 anti-clockwise between J6 Godstone and J5 Chipstead due to a vehicle fire.

Delays are around 30 minutes, with about four miles of congestion.

London Overground now severely delayed - no longer suspended

11:00 , Jordan King

The London Overground is severely delayed between Stratford and Richmond / Clapham Junction due to a faulty freight train at Brondesbury - good service on the rest of the line.

Disruption through Gospel Oak

10:30 , Jordan King

A fault on a London Overground train at Brondesbury is causing disruption to services running through Gospel Oak.

As a result of this, trains between Clapham Junction / Richmond and Stratford may be cancelled. Trains between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside may be cancelled or delayed by up to 25 minutes.

These delays are expected until at least 1pm.

TfL warns of serious delays on the A406 North Circular

10:24 , Jordan King

We have already told you about how a crash has left two lanes closed and an eight-mile tailback on the A406 North Circular eastbound.

TfL has updated its website to say the delays are serious, and it has warned drivers to “approach with caution” and “expect long delays”.

Lanes one and two (of three) are still blocked by the collision.

Eight-mile tailback on the North Circular eastbound

10:21 , Jordan King

A crash has left two lanes closed and an eight-mile tailback on the A406 North Circular eastbound.

Traffic is crawling from A112 Chingford Road (Crooked Billet Interchange) to Wadham Road, with congestion spreading from Edmonton back overthe Cooks Ferry Flyover.

Onlookers are also queueing from the M11 Flyover.

M25: Six-mile tailback with one lane closed near Epping

09:39 , Jordan King

A broken down vehicle on the M25 has closed one of four lanes anti-clockwise between J27 (M11 J6 / Epping) and J26 (Waltham Abbey / Loughton).

Traffic monitoring site Inrix shows there is currently a six-mile tailback.

More on this morning's airport chaos:

09:24 , Jordan King

Social media users shared photos and videos of people stuck at Stansted Airport, waiting for transport.

Huge queues can be seen with many people resorting to sitting on the floor while they wait.

Others can be seen using their jackets as pillows to sleep on the floor.

Victoria line no longer delayed

09:13 , Jordan King

The Victoria line has returned to running a good service.

Elizabeth line no longer disrupted

09:06 , Jordan King

We told you earlier about how a fault with the signalling system between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington caused disruption to journeys through these stations.

This has now cleared up.

Minor delays to Hammersmith and City line

08:56 , Jordan King

There are currently minor delays eastbound only due to an earlier faulty train at Barbican - good service westbound.

London Overground part suspended

08:26 , Jordan King

There is currently no service between Stratford and Willesden Junction due to a faulty freight train at Brondesbury - good service on all other routes.

Minor delays to Metropolitan line

08:23 , Jordan King

There are currently minor delays between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Aldgate while we fix a faulty train at Barbican - good service on the rest of the line.

Disruption to services from St Albans to Sutton/ Elephant & Castle

08:20 , Jordan King

A points failure has been reported in the St Albans area - this is mainly affecting services starting from St Albans to Sutton/ Elephant & Castle.

Crash closes one lane on M25 and causes long delays on M25 and M26

07:53 , Jordan King

There are currently long delays on the M25 clockwise from J2 A2 (Darenth Interchange) to J6 A22 (Godstone) - congestion to a few miles back down the M26.

One lane is closed either side, between J5 M26 and Clacket Lane Services.

Whereclockwise M25 from M25 J2 / A2 / A282 (Darenth Interchange) to M25 J6 / A22 / B2235 (Godstone).

Elizabeth line disrupted

07:48 , Jordan King

A fault with the signalling system between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington is causing disruption to journeys through these stations. Trains may be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.

Disruption is expected until 8.30am.

Road blocked on M25 near Waltham Abbey

07:27 , Jordan King

The road is blocked and causing queuing traffic both ways between A104 Epping New Road (Wake Arms Roundabout) and Woodbine Close (The Woodbine Inn).

This is because of a crash on A121 Woodridden Hill.

Traffic-monitoring site Inrix is reporting a high impact.

Tram part suspended

07:22 , Jordan King

There is no service expected before 7am or after 6pm on the whole of the London Trams network.

Between 7am and 6pm, services will only operate between Wimbledon and Reeves Corner and between East Croydon and Beckenham Junction/New Addington.

Minor delays to Victoria line

07:20 , Jordan King

There are currently minor delays due to a shortage of trains.

Minor delays to Northern line

07:20 , Jordan King

There are currently minor delays due to a shortage of trains.

If you use a Thameslink train:

07:19 , Jordan King

Services will start later than normal because of yesterday’s strike action.

On top of this, a reduced service will be in operation each day on the following routes:

  • Peterborough and Horsham via Redhill – one train per hour

  • Cambridge and Three Bridges via Redhill – one train per hour

  • Bedford and Brighton – two trains per hour

  • London Blackfriars and Sutton via Wimbledon – two trains per hour

  • St Albans and Sutton via Mitcham Eastfields – two trains per hour

  • Luton and Rainham – one train per hour

  • London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks – two trains per hour

If you usually commute with South Western Railway:

07:17 , Jordan King

A revised service will run, with short-notice cancellations possible.

Engineering work will also affect your journey.

If you usually commute with Southern Railways:

07:15 , Jordan King

Today’s services may start later than normal, because of yesterday’s strike action.

An amended timetable and a reduced number of trains will be in operation on various routes.

The operator has asked customers to check journey planners, as the departure times and frequencies of these shuttle services will vary throughout the day.

Chaos at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton

07:11 , Jordan King

A “nationwide issue” with Border Force e-gates caused chaos at multiple airports across the country into the early hours of Wednesday.

Images and footage posted on social media showed horrendous queues as passengers waited to have their passports checked at airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton.

But this has now been resolved, the Home Office has announced.

Read more here.

How are today's strikes impacting the London Northwestern Railway?

07:06 , Jordan King

No London Northwestern Railway services are running today.

How are today's strikes impacting the Heathrow Express?

07:02 , Jordan King

A reduced half hourly service will be in operation as follows:

  • First train departs London Paddington at 7.25am, then every 30 minutes at 25 and 55 minutes past the hour until the last train at 6.55pm

  • First train departs Heathrow Terminal 5 at 7.57am, then every 27 and 57 minutes past the hour until the last train at 6.57pm

  • First train departs Heathrow Central at 8.02am, then every 32 and 02 minutes past the hour until the last train at 7.02pm

What operators are affected by today's strike?

07:00 , Jordan King

  • Avanti West Coast

  • Chiltern Railways

  • CrossCountry

  • East Midlands Railway

  • Great Western Railway

  • Heathrow Express

  • London Northwestern Railway

  • West Midlands Railway

Good morning

06:58 , Jordan King

Good morning and welcome to The Evening Standard’s live coverage of travel in London.

Stay with us for updates on getting around the capital throughout the day.

Latest stories

  • The C919 is China’s answer to the A320. But what is it like onboard?

    CNN’s Beijing bureau chief shares his experience flying on China’s first homegrown mainline passenger plane.

  • Memories and prayers are shared at small-town funeral for the victims of horrific Thai bus fire

    At a Buddhist temple in central Thailand, Wichan Seubsaichan recalled his 9-year-old son as a well-mannered boy who loved school and sports, and enjoyed participating in many activities since he was a toddler. The boy, Reutthawat, had been asking him for a new pair of soccer shoes. On Thursday, Wichan laid a brand-new pair of shoes, a soccer ball, and colorful sporting t-shirts along with a tray of food and beverages on top of a silver and blue patterned coffin, in front of which stood a portrait of a beaming wide-eyed boy in a white tunic with a purple brocade sash running across his chest.

  • EU hits China with big taxes in electric car sales battle

    The vote risks sparking a trade war as the EU looks to protect its own car makers.

  • Air France passengers trapped on eight-hour round trip to nowhere as Iran attack sparks flight diversion chaos

    Exclusive: UK passengers to the key Gulf hubs touched down at Vienna, Cairo or Jeddah, while Air France travellers from Paris to Mumbai endured an eight-hour ‘flight to nowhere’

  • 184 passengers and crew evacuated as Ryanair Boeing plane catches fire on runway in Italy

    No one was hurt in a plane fire at Brindisi Airport, but the second safety incident this week involving Ryanair jets prompted concerns from Italian lawmakers.

  • Pilot Bought 30 Pizzas for Everyone on Plane During Hours-Long Delay, Passenger Says

    The “amazing” United Airlines pilot made sure everyone had a slice before serving himself, according to the passenger

  • 5 Car Brands With the Most Reliable Engines

    You can argue that tires are a car's foremost important safety and performance features, but all the basic components are equally critical. If one fails, the vehicle becomes unusable and costs you...

  • Officer tells driver in out-of-control car to crash into him

    18-year-old Sam Dutcher says his SUV malfunctioned while driving in rural Minnesota and caused him to lose control of the car at speeds reaching 113 mph. Dutcher is safe thanks to quick-thinking state patrol officers.

  • Houthis Release Video of Drone Striking Oil Tanker in Red Sea

    Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels released footage on October 3 showing an uncrewed surface vessel, or drone boat, striking a ship they described as a “British” oil tanker, the Cordelia Moon, in the Red Sea two days earlier on October 1.A port-side ballast tank on the vessel was damaged in the incident, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).The Houthis said the ship was targeted by eight ballistic and winged missiles, a drone, and a uncrewed boat. The attack was carried out in support of Lebanese and Palestinian “resistance” forces, and in response to American and British attacks on Houthi forces, they said in a statement. The Houthis described the tanker as British, but marine traffic websites say the vessel is registered in Panama.Storyful could not independently verify who owns the vessel.A second ship, Minoan Courage, was targeted by a missile in the same area of the Red Sea, UKMTO said.The Houthis also said they struck a third vessel, a container ship named Marathopolis, with a drone in the Indian Ocean, and said it was because the ship continued to trade in Israel. Credit: Military Media Yemen via Storyful

  • Montreal Blue Line's easternmost stops could be closed for weeks

    The Blue Line's easternmost stops could remain closed for weeks, according to Marie-Claude Léonard, CEO of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).As of Thursday evening, Montreal's public transit authority announced the closure of three Metro stations on the Blue line — Fabre, d'Iberville and Saint-Michel — for an indefinite period for safety reasons. Ongoing work at Saint-Michel station has revealed significant degradation of main beams above the walkway, following an assessment by engineer

  • Senators ask Justice Department to take tougher action against Boeing executives over safety issues

    Two U.S. senators have asked the Department of Justice to take tougher action against Boeing executives by holding them criminally accountable for safety issues that have impacted its airplanes. In a letter dated Wednesday and sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said the department's past efforts to effect change at Boeing have failed “because of its continued refusal to criminally prosecute responsible individuals.”

  • Toyota delays US electric car plans as sales slow

    The Japanese car maker has become the latest industry giant to scale back its EV plans.

  • Tesla's website shows most affordable Model 3 variant discontinued in US - Reuters

    Investing.com -- Tesla's (NASDAQ:TSLA) affordable Model 3 compact sedan was no longer available for order in the US on Wednesday, Reuters reported, citing the electric vehicle maker's website.

  • Bus driver arrested as woman dies after being hit by double decker in Islington

    Man in his 40 detained on suspicion of causing death by careless driving in Baron Street on Thursday

  • Toyota Delaying U.S. EV Production. Here’s Why.

    Electric vehicles are still coming to America, just slower than anyone expected. Instead, U.S. car buyers just want a good deal. Wednesday, Nikkei reported Toyota would delay U.S. production of an all-electric three-row SUV by several months pushing production into 2026.

  • British auto industry set to miss 2024 EV sales target, trade body warns

    The comments were made in an open letter to finance minister Rachel Reeves ahead of the Oct. 30 autumn budget, and was signed by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) CEO Mike Hawes and UK heads of several automakers. Britain's ZEV mandate, introduced by the former Conservative government, requires at least 22% of an automaker's new car sales to be purely EVs in 2024.

  • General Motors Company (GM) Gains Hedge Fund Interest with Strong Financials

    We recently published a list of 11 Hot EV Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) stands against the other hot EV stocks to buy now. Just like any new technology, there is a lot of skepticism about the electric vehicle (EV) […]

  • Ford, GM And Hyundai Are Adapting Differently To The Evolving EV Dynamics

    While Ford Motor (NYSE: F) remains focused on hybrids in the near-term, General Motors (NYSE: GM) has been significantly increasing its EV portfolio, and Hyundai Motor Company (OTC: HYMTF) is maintaining its EV sales momentum as it works on solidifying its EV positioning. On Wednesday, Ford announced that it sold a total of 504,039 vehicles during the third quarter, which marks a YoY improvement of 0.7%. Year-to-date, Ford experienced a sales rise of 2.7% as it sold 1,548,172 vehicles.Hybrids le

  • Ian Hislop thanks fans for concern after reports he was caught in taxi ride ‘shooting’

    After police said there is no evidence his cab was shot at, Ian Hislop has thanked fans for their concern after reports he had been caught in a gun attack while in a taxi – with cops now saying they think the back window of the vehicle shattered due to a “mechanical fault”.

  • Gap in Albanese government’s new fuel efficiency rules means ‘biggest, dirtiest polluters’ exempt

    New vehicle efficiency standards (NVES) will not apply to at least four large vehicles, source says