, ,

Paddington trains resume after rail chaos ruins mourners’ journeys

by

Services at Paddington railway station resumed after a 27-hour suspension which caused thousands of mourners to miss the Queen’s funeral.

iStock

Trains began running to and from the west London station at 9.30am following repairs to overhead electric wires, Network Rail said.

Disruption is likely to continue for several hours.

Article continues below…
Advert

Monthly Subscription: Enjoy more Railway Magazine reading each month with free delivery to you door, and access to over 100 years in the archive, all for just £5.35 per month.
Click here to subscribe & save

Wires stretching for nearly two miles were damaged in the area around Hayes and Harlington station at around 6.30am on Monday, meaning all lines serving Paddington were blocked.

Great Western Railway, Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line trains were affected, disrupting the journeys of many people travelling to London and Windsor for the Queen’s funeral.

The cause of the problem with the wires is being investigated.

Article continues below…
Advert

The PA news agency understands that several trains became entangled.

Network Rail said a large engineering team worked overnight to repair some of the damage.

All four lines serving Paddington have reopened, but the wires are only working above two of them. The station will close again at 10pm on Tuesday to allow engineers to complete the repairs.

Article continues below…
Advert


Advert
Subscribe to The Railway Magazine
Enjoy more of The Railway Magazine reading every month. Click here to subscribe.

Railway Reads

From the history of steam through to 21st century rail transport news, we have titles that cater for all rail enthusiasts. Covering diesels, modelling, steam and modern railways, check out our range of magazines and fantastic subscription offers.


About the Author