Trackside blaze disrupts rail services to and from London Paddington

Commuters face delays into the evening after a trackside electrical fire caused large-scale disruption to rail services to and from London Paddington.

Firefighters were called to the fire at Maidenhead train station at around 7am on Wednesday, which triggered cancellations as trains were terminated at Reading.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said services between Paddington and Reading will be disrupted until the end of the day.

A spokesperson said: “Two of four lines have reopened, however, services between Reading and Paddington may be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes.”

Services between Hereford and Worcester Shrub Hill, and Marlow and Maidenhead are also experiencing cancellations.

Elizabeth Line services have also been impacted, with no services running between Maidenhead and Reading. They are also reporting severe delays between Hayes & Harlington and Maidenhead.

Network Rail said it was investigating the cause of the fire, but that it was “too early to speculate”.

A spokesperson for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews from Slough, Maidenhead and Windsor fire stations were sent to the scene.

“Upon arrival, crews discovered an electrical fire alongside the railway. Using a dry powder hose reel, firefighters extinguished the fire.”