Substation fire / Heathrow rail closed (21/03/25) - Rail Discussion Only

[Horizon22]

A major incident has been declared due to a substation fire. Heathrow is likely to be closed all day with all Heathrow Express trains cancelled and Elizabeth Line services terminating short. The Piccadilly line is still running and circulating through the area.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cly24zvvwxlt

Heathrow Airport: flights resume following power outage

A limited number of flights have resumed from Heathrow Airport after a power outage following a fire.

www.bbc.co.uk

• Heathrow Airport is closing all day Friday because of a large fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies it
• The airport closure is expected to last until 23:59
• Heathrow, the UK's busiest airport, has warned of "significant disruption" over the coming days and told passengers not to travel "under any circumstances" until it reopens

I made this post for any rail related discussion - other aviation post is here.

 

[trainmania100]

I see many trains are cancelled likely due to the smoke rather than rail electricity supply issues. Darwin says delayed due to the fire brigade dealing with an incident, trust cancelled code ZW

Presumably once the fire is under control at least, services shouldn't be disrupted too much as staff probably still need to get to work

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Are Hanwell and West Ealing getting extra calls from Reading services, as they appear to be turning Heathrows at Paddington instead of Hayes?

 

[Horizon22]

Are Hanwell and West Ealing getting extra calls from Reading services, as they appear to be turning Heathrows at Paddington instead of Hayes?

There is only so much capacity at Hayes for 2 or even just 1tph ad-hoc. Looks some additional calls are being put in but also there is the potential issue that the power outage has on station equipment as it is that widespread. Not to mention peak Reading services are often already packed.

I presume there would be some additional stops.

 

[800001]

I see many trains are cancelled likely due to the smoke rather than rail electricity supply issues. Darwin says delayed due to the fire brigade dealing with an incident, trust cancelled code ZW

Presumably once the fire is under control at least, services shouldn't be disrupted too much as staff probably still need to get to work

The trains will be cancelled as the whole airport is without power, this includes the stations.

The fire is in Hayes, 1.5 miles from airport.

Cancelling the trains prevents people attempting to travel to the airport.

If trains were running there, people would attempt to travel regardless of advice not too.

 

[Dstock7080]

Elizabeth Line suspended from Hayes & Harlington into airport.
Heathrow Terminal 4 station closed remains open (corrected by Admin)

 

[Cross City]

Just had word from TFL that while T4 Rail and Picc stations are currently closed the other Picc Line stations are still open to get any remaining passengers and airport staff away from the airport as no road traffic is allowed near the terminals.

 

[JN114]

Heathrow Express now up and running half hourly for Airport Staff only

 

[fishwomp]

Qantas are apparently bussing their Heathrow passengers from Paris CDG where their two overnight flights diverted to.
Doesn't look like Eurostar was an option.

Sigh.
And another sigh for the buses from Edinburgh, Glasgow etc... You'd hope the railways at least got a phone call. They could offer standing-room only options instead of _some_ of the buses.. particularly as many passengers won't have London as their actual home.

 

[AJP62]

Joined the 8.15 Manchester P to Euston at Macclesfield and its very quiet though maybe too early a departure for the diverted arrivals at MAN.

 

[yorkie]

Does anyone have any more rail specific discussion? If so please feel free to post, but if not, please don't post in this thread.

There is a thread in the Aviation section to discuss the impact on aviation.

 

[JN114]

Does anyone have any more rail specific discussion? If so please feel free to post, but if not, please don't post in this thread.

There is a thread in the Aviation section to discuss the impact on aviation.

To cover off the rail picture for anyone reading who may need to know.

London Underground - running normally

Heathrow Express - half hourly service, for Airport staff ONLY towards Heathrow

Elizabeth Line - not serving Heathrow, some knock on effects to other Western end services as a result

 

[greeny11]

GWR (and LNER in the comments to this X post) have eased ticket restrictions for passengers needing to return home using the return portion of their ticket at no extra cost.

Loading…

x.com

Service update - 21 March GWR has eased ticket restrictions for customers affected by today's closure of #HeathrowAirport. Customers expecting to fly today and needing to return home can use the return portion of their ticket to their original destination at no additional cost. Heathrow Express services for customers towards Heathrow Airport have been suspended for the remainder of the day. Services continue to operate from Heathrow to London Paddington.

LNER are also saying passengers travelling today can use their tickets at another time:

https://x.com/LNER/status/1903028757004239340

LNER customers affected by the closure of Heathrow Airport today can use their existing tickets, dated Friday 21 March, to travel at a different date/time, including any connecting services.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Eurostar will run one extra train each way between London and Paris.

In a statement to the Guardian, Eurostar confirmed plans to run one additional service from London to Paris (departing 3pm) and from Paris to London (departing 8pm), with 882 seats on each train.

Heathrow airport closed: more than 1,000 flights affected after substation fire causes power outage - live

Travellers warned to stay away amid ‘significant disruption’ after fire in Hayes causes power outage

www.theguardian.com

 

[ainsworth74]

Not exactly a lot of additional capacity but you know what fair play to them for scrouging something together at very very short notice. It can't have been that easy to cobble together an additional crew and unit without also risking leaving their normal service uncovered.

 

[WAO]

Isn't/wasn't there a 25kV Feeder Station at North Hyde Road for Heathrow Express, on an "extension lead" from the N Hyde GSP, before Didcot ATFS opened? IIRC it was kept in reserve. Has anyone more information and is this affected?

WAO

 

[Horizon22]

Elizabeth line appear to be fairly reliably turning 4tph at Hayes and Harlington or West Drayton now. There are some few delays as expected.

 

[74A]

Why are trains able to run to Heathrow if there is no power ? I know the overheads get there electricity from a different source but the station facilities etc will need power.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Why are trains able to run to Heathrow if there is no power ?

Pretty sure some power has been reinstated

 

[Buzby]

I would assume it is because rail traction current does not come off a public supply. I’m just surprised Heathrow has only a single feed.

 

[The exile]

Why are trains able to run to Heathrow if there is no power ? I know the overheads get there electricity from a different source but the station facilities etc will need power.

If they are only being used effectively as an emergency route out for staff, then presumably only the bare minimum (emergency level) power is needed.

 

[TFN]

Heathrow Express - half hourly service, for Airport staff ONLY towards Heathrow

They’re also accepting anyone at Heathrow going towards Paddington.

 

[Killingworth]

According to LinkedIn post by Alex Hornby, Commercial and Customer Director, Northern Trains

Quick thinking and joined up decision making by Northern and colleagues at TransPennine Express this morning…

We understand some travellers have been diverted to airports across the north - so if your Heathrow flight is disrupted or diverted due to the airport closure, we have opened up the use of our trains for free. All you need is to show proof of impacted Heathrow flight. Simple.

Real evidence of the railway working together and acting quickly for the benefit of our customers.

Primarily helpful if diverted via Manchester, but may be relevant for other airports.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I’m just surprised Heathrow has only a single feed.

It doesn't. Multiple systems at multiple places must have failed to totally shut the airport down like this.

That the railway has been able to run shows the differences in the power sources ( as you said ) but I don't think we need to start detailing the power supply differences on this thread - that might need a separate third thread?

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Eurostar will now run two additional trains each way between London and Paris.

Londres-Paris

• Train 9034, départ à 15h00
• Train 9042, départ à 16h45

Paris-Londres

• Train 9061, départ à 20h00
• Train 9065 départ à 21h00

Fermeture de l'aéroport d'Heathrow: Eurostar ajoute des TGV entre Paris et Londres

L'opérateur a décidé "d'ajouter de la capacité afin d'aider les voyageurs affectés par ces perturbations".

www.bfmtv.com

 

[Cross City]

It doesn't. Multiple systems at multiple places must have failed to totally shut the airport down like this.

Correct. You also need to consider that the roads into the airport were shut around 5am so it's highly likely that some operation critical staff couldn't actually reach the airport even if they wanted to.

 

[QueensCurve]

Sigh.
And another sigh for the buses from Edinburgh, Glasgow etc... You'd hope the railways at least got a phone call. They could offer standing-room only options instead of _some_ of the buses.. particularly as many passengers won't have London as their actual hom

A snowy day in early 1980 I caught the 1610FO Glasgow to Euston. The normally nearly-empty first class accommodation was full and standing with pax booked onto the train by British Airways whose Glasgow to Heathrow flights were cancelled. Said airline pax were moaning about how awful British Rail was for 'not putting enough carriages on' or not running extra trains. The 1610FO was axed in the new timetable that came in in 1981.

 

[fishwomp]

[..] The normally nearly-empty first class accommodation was full and standing with pax booked onto the train by British Airways whose Glasgow to Heathrow flights were cancelled. Said airline pax were moaning about how awful British Rail was for 'not putting enough carriages on' or not running extra trains. [..]

Love it. Although back in 1981, adding an extra carriage to a train wouldn't have taken the set out of commission for a couple of weeks for a software update, or whatever it was they did at Widnes when making 11-car Pendelinos with the 9 cars + 2 new.., and there was a lot of rolling stock around. Well done BA back then.

 

[WAO]

IF the GWML is presently fed from Kensal Green (from Willesden) and Didcot then the fire should not affect traction supplies.

WAO

 

[Western Sunset]

Isn't there some electrical switchgear at the end of Keith Road in Hayes, just by Dawley Road bridge?