Passengers faced major travel disruption between central London and Heathrow Airport after a burst water main flooded the signalling system. The UK's busiest airport was left without any rail or Tube service following the incident and planned engineering works.
There were no Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express services between Paddington and Heathrow terminals for hours after the flooding caused a signalling meltdown. Meanwhile, the Piccadilly line was suspended between Heathrow and Acton Town for planned works taking place this weekend.
Passengers faced arduous journeys to the airport, with buses being the only public transport option available. One traveller said on X: 'Got through Heathrow quickly, great straight onto the Elizabeth line…. Nope, line is flooded. It’s two buses and a train instead.'
The flooding occurred between Paddington and Heathrow after a burst water main, blocking all lines and submerging the signalling system, National Rail said. The tracks have now reopened and services are expected to resume back to normal soon.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: 'The railway line to Heathrow Airport has reopened following an earlier problem with the signalling system caused by a leaking water pipe. Heathrow infrastructure maintenance teams have isolated the leak and trains are able to run again.' Passengers are advised to check National Rail Enquiries for the latest travel information.
