London Paddington rail services resume after major disruption

Trains have started running in and out of London Paddington after an incident during the testing of a new intercity train led to the closure of tracks into one of Britain’s busiest rail stations for almost 14 hours.

Train operators said passengers still faced significant disruption because only limited services would be running west from the capital for the rest of Wednesday. Two of four tracks have reopened, but knock-on effects could persist into Thursday, they said..

Trains had been unable to run between Paddington and Slough or Heathrow during the peak morning commute because of severe damage to overhead electrical wires near Ealing Broadway in west London. The loss of power supply also stranded a number of trains between Paddington and Reading.

Great Western Railway (GWR) advised customers only to travel on Wednesday afternoon if necessary and to check before leaving home. GWR tickets were being accepted on other train services to London’s Marylebone, Euston and Waterloo stations. Tickets for Wednesday’s services would remain valid for tomorrow, should customers choose to postpone, the operator said. Full refunds would be given for those who choose not to travel.

Twitter users expressed both dismay and amusement:

The damage was caused by the pantograph on a Hitachi train ripping down about 500 metres of power lines during a test run from London to Bristol at around 10pm on Tuesday. Hitachi said 12 of the same Class 802 trains, which run on diesel and electric and are part of the £5.7bn intercity express programme (IEP) ordered by the government, were already in operation on the line.

A spokesman said the train had now been returned to the depot for examination. Hitachi’s IEP trains have had teething problems, including the breakdown of a train with ministers on board during the official launch a year ago. The cause is yet to be established. Most of the Great Western mainline has been electrified in a partially abandoned upgrade marked by blown budgets and delays.

Network Rail said of Tuesday night’s incident: “Engineers have been working round the clock and have managed to clear debris from the damage and restore power so trapped trains that were blocking the line can be moved.

“As a result two lines out of the four that are usually used are now open, meaning a minimal service will be in place for the rest of today between London Paddington and Reading and Heathrow.”

The track closure also affected some other services. South Western Railway told customers its trains into London would be busier than usual. Southern, Southeastern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express reported cancellations and delays of up to 45 minutes.