Elizabeth Line Skips Heathrow Terminal 5 After Fire

London Fire Brigade said a grass fire near Scrubs Lane in North Kensington on Saturday, 5 September 2026, hit the Elizabeth Line and the Great Western Main Line into Paddington. The Brigade was called at 16:11 BST, had the fire under control by 20:36, and evacuated about 380 passengers from a stranded Elizabeth Line train with Transport for London. Network Rail told BBC News on Monday, 7 September, that fire damage at the Kensal Green electrical substation was still delaying Great Western Railway trains and keeping the Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express on a reduced service. If you are flying from Heathrow today, do not assume Terminal 5 is on the Elizabeth Line, and leave extra time for a thinner Heathrow Express timetable. British Airways passengers using Terminal 5 are among those who now need a different rail path or a much earlier departure from central London. Check National Rail and TfL before you leave, because Monday's remaining cuts sit on top of a Saturday shutdown that emptied Paddington's boards. Monday rail: Network Rail reported Great Western delays plus a reduced Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express after Kensal Green substation damage. Network Rail reported Great Western delays plus a reduced Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express after Kensal Green substation damage. Terminal 5: Evening reports on 7 September said Elizabeth Line trains were not serving Heathrow Terminal 5. Evening reports on 7 September said Elizabeth Line trains were not serving Heathrow Terminal 5. Saturday fire: London Fire Brigade logged a grass fire near Scrubs Lane, called at 16:11 BST and under control at 20:36. London Fire Brigade logged a grass fire near Scrubs Lane, called at 16:11 BST and under control at 20:36. Evacuation: About 380 Elizabeth Line passengers were taken off a stranded train by the Brigade and TfL. About 380 Elizabeth Line passengers were taken off a stranded train by the Brigade and TfL. Cause: The Brigade listed the cause as undetermined. British Transport Police arrested a man on suspicion of arson and later bailed him. Elizabeth Line Still Skips Heathrow Terminal 5 The live traveler problem on Monday is not a closed airport. It is a thinner rail spine between London Paddington and Heathrow after the electrical kit that feeds those lines was damaged. Network Rail told BBC News that Great Western Railway was delayed and that the Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express were running a reduced service because of fire damage to the electrical substation at Kensal Green. The Evening Standard, citing National Rail's Saturday block and Monday follow-through, said Elizabeth Line trains would not serve Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 while Heathrow Express ran a reduced schedule. That T5 skip matters more than a generic 'delays' banner. Terminal 5 is the long-haul hub for British Airways, and the Elizabeth Line is the step-free, luggage-friendly path many passengers use from the West End, Canary Wharf, or the Great Western suburbs. If your ticket, lounge, or connection is at T5, an Elizabeth Line train that still runs to other Heathrow stations does not finish the job. Budget a transfer inside the airport, a Heathrow Express seat if one is running, the Piccadilly Line if it is clean, or a coach or licensed taxi, and add time you would not need on a normal Monday. Kensal Green Substation Damage Is the Monday Problem Saturday's fire did more than stop trains for one evening. National Rail told BBC News that all lines were blocked between Paddington and Heathrow's terminals, and toward Reading, because of a failure of the electricity supply caused by a fire next to the track. BBC News later reported that overhead cables caught fire and that almost 400 passengers had to be escorted from a train that lost power, a figure that matches the Brigade's count of about 380 people taken off an Elizabeth Line service. Operators said on Sunday morning that the fire was out and that a normal service had resumed. By Monday, the residual problem was the substation, not an active blaze beside the rails. That sequence is why a traveler who saw 'services resumed' on Sunday can still miss a flight on Monday. Electrical distribution equipment is not a tree branch you cut away overnight. Until Network Rail restores full power at Kensal Green, the Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express can run, but not at the frequency or station pattern printed on a summer timetable. Treat Sunday's restart as 'trains exist again,' not as 'the airport rail plan you booked in July still holds.' How to Reach Heathrow If Rail Is Thin Build the trip backward from check-in, not from Paddington's usual 15-minute Heathrow Express promise. The operator still markets trains every 15 minutes. That is the product, not Monday's plan. If you are bound for Terminal 5 and the Elizabeth Line is skipping that stop, a reduced Heathrow Express may not finish the trip either. Carry a second option before you leave: Piccadilly Line, coach, or a prebooked car. The Piccadilly Line uses a different alignment and does not depend on the Kensal Green substation the way Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express do. On Saturday night the airport said the Piccadilly Line also had delays, so recheck TfL before you commit, especially with hold luggage. Use Heathrow Express only if National Rail shows it running. GWR Cancellations and a Separate Monday Block Great Western Railway sits in the same electrical neighborhood. BBC News, citing National Rail's Monday arrivals board, said services calling at Reading had been cancelled, including the 13:52 from Didcot Parkway. If you use Reading or Didcot as an airport feeder into Paddington, do not assume the evening peak will absorb a missed midday train. Network Rail tied that thinner Monday railway to the Kensal Green damage, not to a new trackside fire. Keep Monday's other incidents separate. GWR also said the Reading to Paddington line was blocked on Monday morning after a vehicle hit a bridge, with disruption expected until 12:30. That is a different cause and a different clock. Leave earlier rather than stacking the fire, the bridge strike, and any Underground incident onto the same tight connection. Arrest Reported, Cause Not Yet Proven British Transport Police said it was called to a trackside fire in the Scrubs Lane area at about 16:45 BST on Saturday, close to the Brigade's 16:11 first call. A man later attended a central London police station, was arrested on suspicion of arson, and was bailed pending further enquiries. London Fire Brigade still lists the cause as undetermined. An arrest on suspicion is not a completed investigation, and it does not change how you reach the airport today. Plan from the operator facts: the fire happened, the substation was damaged, Terminal 5 Elizabeth Line service was not running as normal on Monday, and Heathrow Express was reduced. A separate grass fire on Heathrow's southern runway earlier on Saturday diverted at least two flights. That airfield fire is weekend context. It is not this rail story. If you… What to do Have a Terminal 5 flight today Do not count on the Elizabeth Line to T5. Leave earlier and keep a Piccadilly, coach, or car backup. Booked Heathrow Express Recheck National Rail before you leave. The 15-minute pitch is not Monday's timetable. Feed the airport via Reading or Didcot Expect Great Western delays and cancellations, including the 13:52 Didcot example logged Monday. Travel on Tuesday, 8 September No operator promise says full T5 or full Heathrow Express returns overnight. Recheck first. 7 September is the live rail gate. Network Rail's Monday update is the current reason Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express are thin. Leave earlier than a standard Paddington-to-Heathrow plan. Terminal 5 is the station gate. If evening reports still hold, the Elizabeth Line will not finish a T5 trip. Plan a transfer or a different mode before you are on the train. Tuesday morning is the next check, not a promise. Substation repairs are not on a public minute-by-minute clock in the Monday reporting. Confirm National Rail and TfL before you travel. No. The Saturday rail fire blocked trains to the airport. A separate grass fire on the airfield closed the southern runway for a time and diverted at least two flights. Monday's remaining problem is rail, not a closed terminal. Not as a reliable Monday plan. The Evening Standard said Elizabeth Line trains were not serving Terminal 5 while Heathrow Express ran a reduced schedule after the Kensal Green damage. No. British Transport Police arrested a man on suspicion of arson and bailed him. London Fire Brigade still lists the cause as undetermined on its North Kensington incident page. Leave earlier, check National Rail and TfL on the way out the door, and keep a non-Elizabeth Line path to Terminal 5. Do not rely on Paddington boards catching up after you have already cut the margin.