Passengers have been hit by major disruption across London on the Underground, Overground and services to Heathrow Airport.
All trains between Heathrow and central London have been suspended for ‘tunnel safety reasons,’ and disruption is set to last into the evening, National Rail warned.
Holidaymakers travelling on the Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express have been affected by severe disruption to and from the airport since this morning.
National Rail said: ‘Heathrow tunnel is closed for safety reasons which means trains are unable to run to and from Heathrow Airport.
‘Trains will be cancelled or revised as a result.’
Elizabeth line trains between Abbey Wood and Heathrow Terminals 4 and 5 cannot run.
Heathrow Express between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5 is also suspended.
Major disruption is expected until ‘the end of the day,’ and trains will be cancelled or revised, it said.
— Heathrow Express (@HeathrowExpress) July 3, 2024No services in either direction due to a tunnel being closed for safety reasons.
For further travel advice please speak to a member of station staff or visit us at:https://t.co/2B53Lfkj0K #hexupdates
National Rail said the safety issue was caused by a ‘problem with the ventilation system in Heathrow tunnels,’ so trains cannot run until ‘Network Rail has resolved this issue.’
However, passengers can still use the London Underground Piccadilly line, which is running normally to and from the airport as it does not use the tunnel.
A Network Rail spokesperson told Metro.co.uk:‘There are currently no trains running to or from Heathrow Airport owing to a fault with the ventilation system within the tunnels along the route.
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There is currently no service on the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line. We advise passengers to use London Underground or replacement local bus services. We apologise for any inconvenience to your journey.
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) July 3, 2024
‘Engineers are on site working to restore the system, however disruption is expected to continue throughout the morning. We’re sorry for the impact this will have on journeys.
‘Passengers are able to use existing tickets on the Piccadilly line and are advised to check with National Rail Enquiries before travelling.’
Fred Roeder, managing director of Consumer Choice Center, landed from Dubai at Heathrow Terminal 3 today for a work trip to find the transport links in disarray.
The ex-Londoner claimed there were no announcements to warn passengers in Terminal 3 about the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line problems.
He told Metro.co.uk there were ‘no visible or bearable announcements’ within the terminal at the busy airport.
‘Piccadilly line was then of course crazy crowded. Not a good look during Wimbledon and the AC/DC concert.’
London Underground and Overground disruption
A stretch of the District line is also partially suspended, with no service between Turnham Green and Richmond while Network Rail engineers fix a track fault at Gunnersbury in southwest London.
The track fault has also hit the London Overground service since the morning rush hour.
There is currently no service between Richmond and South Acton due to the track fault.
ANetworkRailspokesperson said its teams are ‘actively investigating the issue and working to resume train services safely.’
‘Delays are expected on some services, so passengers are advised to check the latest travel information for updates. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused by this incident,’ they said.
A spokesperson for TfL told Metro.co.uk: ‘We apologise to Central line, District line and Overground customers for the disruption to their journeys this morning.
‘Our engineers are working as quickly as possible to restore a normal service.’
There was no service on the Central line between Woodford and Epping while TfL responded to a fire alert at Debden this morning, which has since cleared.
Have you been affected? Please email noora.mykkanen@metro.co.uk.
Major disruption on Heathrow trains
Here are all the affected routes and how to get to the airport if you are affected.
Elizabeth line
Services are suspended between Heathrow Airport and Hayes and Harlington.
Customers can use their tickets on the London Underground Piccadilly Line at no extra cost.
Heathrow Express
The service is suspended between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5.
Passengers can use the following services instead:
- London UndergroundPiccadilly Line services to and from Heathrow Airport
- London Bus routes:
- SL9 and X140 between Heathrow Central bus station and Hayes & Harlington
- 105 between Heathrow and Southall
This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.
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