Major travel disruption to and from Heathrow after burst pipe
Passengers faced major disruption to their journeys to and from Heathrow Airport after a burst pipe halted train services.
Transport for London said there was no service on the Elizabeth Line between Hayes and Harlington and Heathrow due to signal failure caused by flooding at Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3. Heathrow Express was also affected.
Due to planned engineering works, there is no Piccadilly line service to the airport.
Heathrow Express shared on X: “Due to a significant incident beyond our control, there are currently no Heathrow Express services operating. We are actively working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.”
Heathrow airport wrote: “There is currently no rail service to and from Heathrow. The Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express are suspended. The Piccadilly line between Heathrow and Acton Town is also closed as part of planned works.”
“If you are traveling to the airport please allow extra time and plan your journey using TfL’s journey planner: https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/… We apologize for the inconvenience caused.”
Customers hoping to travel during the half-term break saw their plans disrupted as people reported on social media that they had to take an Uber or minicab to make the journey.
One person on
Another person added: “There is someone at the airport who can post on social media but contact at the airport was no help at all. I finally managed to find a minicab via uber and I’m currently on the M25 heading to Suffolk!”
Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the UK and Europe. Just last year, on August 1, it recorded its busiest day ever, with more than a quarter of a million passengers passing through its four terminals.
Status of the Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express
TfL situation update warns of “minor delays” between Hays & Harlington and Heathrow airport due to flooding at Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3.
The Heathrow Express status update from 11.40am shows there is no service in both directions due to a fault in the signaling system.
Alternative travel options
According to the statement made by the airport, passengers traveling from Paddington can use the Elizabeth line to go to Hayes and Harlington, then continue by bus. Those arriving at Hayes & Harlington can use 278 or SL9 from the station (stop E) to reach the airport.
Rail replacement services are available for the Piccadilly line.
Once at Heathrow, passengers can use bus stops to reach the Central Terminal Area, where there are connecting connections to London and all terminals.
For the fourth terminal, passengers should use bus stops 13 and 14. Bus stop 16 could help connect people to terminal five. Meanwhile, bus stop 16 can help people go to the second and third terminals.
“You can connect to onward buses from the CTA to London or between terminals.”
This is an evolving story, more to come…
