A fire alert at Stratford has caused significant disruption to London's public transport network on Friday morning, affecting multiple Tube and Overground lines. The Elizabeth line experienced delays following an earlier suspension between Abbey Wood and Whitechapel. The Jubilee line is part-suspended between Stratford and West Ham, with minor delays on the rest of the line, while the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is part-suspended between Stratford and Pudding Mill Lane.
Overground Lines Affected by Trespasser and Signal Fault
The Windrush line is suspended due to a trespasser on the tracks in Whitechapel, and the Suffragette line is badly disrupted because of a signal fault at Barking, with no service between Barking and Barking Riverside. The Mildmay line is also facing severe delays due to a faulty train. In unrelated incidents, the Victoria line is experiencing severe delays due to a points failure at Walthamstow Central, and the Weaver line, which reopened after a trackside fire in Wood Street, is operating with minor delays.
Weaver Line Reopens After Trackside Fire
The Weaver line has now reopened after a trackside fire in Wood Street that required around 125 firefighters to battle the major blaze on Sunday evening. The fire, which could be seen raging metres from railway lines, spread to homes and around 30 gardens. Five days on, the line is back in action but with minor delays.
Drivers Warned of Busiest Summer Getaway in Four Years
Meanwhile, drivers are warned to expect the busiest summer holiday getaway in years. The RAC estimates that 14.1 million motorists will embark on journeys for holidays or day trips between Friday and Sunday. That is the second-highest since it began tracking the data in 2016, surpassed only by 18.8 million in 2022 when the easing of coronavirus restrictions sparked a surge in travel. The RAC predicted Saturday will be the busiest day on the roads for getaway journeys, with 3.8 million planned, while Friday and Sunday will each see an estimated 3.4 million. A further 6.8 million trips will be spread across the three-day period.
Latest TfL Updates
As of 6:30am, there are minor delays on the Hammersmith and City line due to train cancellations. The Suffragette line is part-suspended, and severe delays are expected on the rest of the line while engineers fix a signal failure at Barking. The Windrush line is currently suspended due to a trespasser on the tracks, with passengers advised to seek alternative routes. The Weaver line has minor delays due to the lineside fire at Wood Street.
