London, January 7, 2026, 07:24 GMT
- Overrunning engineering works blocked services between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5/Reading, National Rail said.
- Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express trains faced cancellations and delays of up to 60 minutes during the morning commute.
- Operators were still working through disruption triggered by damage to overhead power lines west of Paddington found on Tuesday.
Rail services on London’s Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express were disrupted on Wednesday after overnight engineering works overran between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5/Reading, National Rail said. Trains may be cancelled or delayed by up to 60 minutes, it said, with disruption expected until 07:45 GMT. 1
The corridor is the main rail link from central London to Heathrow Airport and a key commuter artery into Paddington. It is also part of the route used by Great Western Railway services heading west towards Reading and beyond.
The latest disruption follows a day of problems on Tuesday after Network Rail identified damage to overhead power lines west of Paddington, cutting the number of trains able to run, operators said. Transport for London said the Elizabeth line would run a reduced service while repairs continued.
Great Western Railway said engineers found damage in the Ladbroke Grove area on the approach to Paddington. The overhead power supply system, known in the industry as Overhead Line Equipment, feeds electricity to electric trains.
Heathrow Express, which normally runs every 15 minutes, was operating every 30 minutes on Tuesday, while some Elizabeth line services skipped intermediate stops such as Hanwell and West Ealing, the Standard reported. A TfL spokesperson apologised for the disruption and said Network Rail was working to restore services as soon as possible. 2
The problems worsened on Tuesday when a freight train failed outside Reading, blocking a key junction and halting services, National Rail said. The train later moved, but passengers still faced delays of up to 45 minutes as repair work continued. 3
But the timetable remained fragile: National Rail warned of short-notice alterations and platform changes even after the line reopened. Any further fault on the four-track approach to Paddington could trigger more cancellations and ripple across Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line and GWR services.
