Is the Elizabeth line running today? Latest updates after passengers stranded

Rail passengers are being urged not to travel between London Paddington and Reading after a major fault left people stranded for hours last night.

A Network Rail spokesperson said issues with overhead cables in the Ladbroke Grove area in west London led to passengers being stuck for nearly four hours.

The Elizabeth Line, Great Western Railway and Heathrow Express trains were all disrupted as power had to be switched off.

Following overnight repairs, Network Rail said all lines on the Elizabeth Line are open again but warned that a revised service is running, with passengers told to expect some delays and cancellations.

Celebrities including musician James Blunt and TV presenter Rachel Riley were among the hundreds of travellers affected by the disruption.

Can you travel on the Elizabeth Line today?

Following last night’s travel chaos, the rail line, which connects Reading and Heathrow Airport to Abbey Wood in south east London, is part suspended and has severe delays.

Transport for London has said on its website: “No service between Heathrow Terminal 2 & 3 and Heathrow Terminal 5 while Network Rail repair damaged overhead power cables in the Paddington Area. Severe delays between Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 2, 3 & 4/ Reading, also between Abbey Wood and Whitechapel. Good service on the rest of the line.

“Tickets will be accepted on London Underground, London Buses, local buses, Thameslink, South Eastern Railway, DLR, South Western Railways and Chiltern Railways by any reasonable route.”

This means that you can travel on the Elizabeth Line between Whitechapel, in east London, and Paddington, or Shenfield in Essex and Paddington.

Disruption is expected to continue until at least 3pm today. Tickets are being accepted on the following alternative routes:

• London Buses between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminals / Reading
• London Underground via any reasonable route
• Thameslink between Abbey Wood and Farringdon
• Southeastern between Abbey Wood and London Terminals
• Docklands Light Railway via any reasonable route
• South Western Railway between London Waterloo and Reading
• Chiltern Railways via any reasonable route

What about the other train lines from Paddington?

The cable issue has also had a major impact on other rail lines from London Paddington to the West and South West. Great Western Railway said a reduced service is running between Paddington and Reading but it is recommending customers to not travel on the line until further notice.

A reduced service is running for Heathrow Express, but is also disrupted.

On its website, National Rail has said services between Newbury, Oxford, Didcot Parkway and London Paddington will terminate or start back from Reading. It adds that long distance services will run where possible, but the following services are subject to short notice cancellations and alterations:

• London Paddington to Cardiff Central may be cancelled
• London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads may be cancelled

Tickets are being accepted on the following alternative routes:

• Chiltern Railways between London Marylebone and Oxford
• South Western Railway between London Waterloo and Reading
• London Underground between London Paddington and London Marylebone / London Waterloo
• West Midlands Railway between Worcester Shrub Hill and Birmingham New Street
• Avanti West Coast between Birmingham New Street and London Euston

For Heathrow Express, a reduced half-hourly service is running, however services are subject to short-notice alterations and cancellations.

The routes are also expected to be affected until at least 3pm today.

Can I receive compensation if I am delayed or my train is cancelled today?

Yes you may. You can see the terms and conditions on National Rail’s website here.

Where can I find out updates about the issue?

National Rail has a dedicated page on its website here which it is updating regularly. It is also posting regular updates on its X profile here.

Those who need advice about alternative routes can plan their journeys using TFL’s journey planner, National Rail’s journey planner and also journey planner apps and websites, including Citymapper.