A failure in the overhead cabling system damaged many wires, leading to massive train disruption that left several passengers stranded inside for over three hours. The incident happened at the Ladbroke Grove station around 6:40 PM (BST) last Thursday, causing delays and cancellations for various train services. Great Western Railway, Heathrow Express, and the Elizabeth Line were some of the train transport systems affected. Transport for London explained that four trains of Elizabeth Line got stranded after disruptions induced by another train operator. National Rail had to cut all services to and from Paddington in the meantime.
One passenger from one of the stranded trains, Hugh Comerford, stated that his train stopped all of a sudden, and passengers didn’t know what was happening until the driver informed them over the intercom. The driver then explained that the train ahead of theirs got tangled up in overhead power cables, forcing the power to get turned off to minimize any potential risks. Meanwhile, Comerford stated that the passengers were quite calm, and their spirits were high despite the situation’s gravity.
Another passenger had to document the horrible experience on social media, explaining that the carriages had lost power and that some fellow passengers were beginning to disembark their train and walk on the tracks. BBC journalist Emma Bentley, who was stuck on another train, detailed the situations of their passengers waiting in the dark and sharing their predicament with acquaintances on social media.
A spokesperson from Network Rail explains that the rail operator regrets the “disruption and difficulties passengers endured this evening after a fault with overhead cables powering trains in the Ladbroke Grove area.” In another statement, the spokesperson further advised people planning to travel in or out of Paddington on Thursday night or Friday morning to check National Rail Enquiries to catch up with any developments
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