Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

From National Rail - Elizabeth Line suspended between Paddington-Heathrow-Reading (again)


Route(s) affected
Elizabeth line between Abbey Wood and Heathrow Terminal 4 / Reading, and also between Shenfield and Heathrow Terminal 5

Great Western Railway between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway

Heathrow Express between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport

Description

A failure of the electricity supply between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport / Reading means some lines are blocked. As a result, trains may be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised.

Disruption is expected until 16:00.

[TaplowGreen]

Huge fire next to Slough Station, Windsor line is closed and it sounds as if Slough Station may be closing soon, message is stay away.

Looks like it was brought under control before it caused thousands of pounds worth of improvements.

Ironically it's being reported that it was the Network Rail depot.

[Marlburian]

From National Rail - Elizabeth Line suspended between Paddington-Heathrow-Reading (again)

Route(s) affected
Elizabeth line between Abbey Wood and Heathrow Terminal 4 / Reading, and also between Shenfield and Heathrow Terminal 5

Great Western Railway between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway

Heathrow Express between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport

Description

A failure of the electricity supply between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport / Reading means some lines are blocked. As a result, trains may be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised.

Disruption is expected until 16:00.

This afternoon I took a friend down to Tilehurst Station to catch the 1526 to Paddington and found a CrossCountry service with very few passengers on board blocking the line serving Platform 4. There were 25 or so people on the platform itself - four times as many as I would normally expect to see at that time of day - I did vaguely wonder if they had got off the CrossCountry for some reason, but I  couldn't think of one (the preceding 1455 had departed at 1512). The CrossCountry finally departed, with the 1526 coming in around 1535 and leaving at 1542.

My friend usually wonders whether or not to stay on the semi-fast service to Paddington. Today she decided to, but ironically it terminated at Reading and she had to squeeze on to a crowded fast train.

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between Westbury and Reading

Due to a safety inspection of the track between Westbury and Reading the line towards Reading is blocked.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 19:00 15/08.

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between Swindon and Reading

Due to a safety inspection of the track between Swindon and Reading fewer trains are able to run on some lines.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
We have had a report of a defect with the track in the Swindon to Reading area. Trains may not be able to run over the affected line until it has been inspected or may have to run at reduced speed.

[TaplowGreen]

From National Rail.....

Description
A safety inspection of the track between West Ealing and Southall means that trains have to run at a reduced speed on some lines. As a result, trains running between Acton Main Line and Heathrow Terminal 4 / Maidenhead may be cancelled, or revised.

Disruption is expected until 21:00.

Customer advice:
Passengers requiring Heathrow from the eastern route between Shenfield and Stratford are advised to change at Whitechapel for a Heathrow Terminal 4 service.

Passengers can travel for free between Heathrow Terminals. Change at Heathrow Terminals 2/3 for Heathrow Terminal 5.

Ticket acceptance:

You can use your ticket at no extra cost on the following alternative train and underground services:

London Underground services via any reasonable route

Great Western Railway services between London Paddington and Reading

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading
Due to a safety inspection of the track between London Paddington and Reading some lines are blocked.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 22:00 17/08.

Customer Advice
-
We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today.
-
What has happened?
-
A track defect has been reported affected one of the two lines towards London Paddington in the Hanwell area.
-

[TaplowGreen]

Delays to services between Reading and Newbury

Due to a safety inspection of the track between Reading and Newbury trains have to run at reduced speed on the line towards Newbury.

Train services running to and from these stations will be delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until 16:20 18/08.

Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
A defect to the track has been reported in the Theale area, meaning trains running towards Newbury and Westbury may be delayed.

[TaplowGreen]

Every......sodding.......day

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

Due to a points failure at London Paddington disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Train services between London Paddington and Reading may be cancelled or delayed.
Customer Advice
-
We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today.
-
What has happened?
-
There has been a points failure in the London Paddington area. A points failure is a fault with the movable pieces of track that enable trains to change tracks.
-

[TaplowGreen]

........and again! 

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

Due to a points failure between London Paddington and Reading fewer trains are able to run on some Slough lines.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 17:00 20/08.

Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
There has been a points failure in the Slough area.

[GBM]

I thought Network Rail admitted there had been a problem with this area, and were concentrating on making it all better?

[NickB]

‘Better’ is a relative statement.

[Trowres]

I would like to see the output of any investigation that has been done on why these points are failing.

Surely there must have been such a study?... including the causes of failure; which types of equipment are most liable to conk out, etc.

I don't recall any communication from the industry to give an impression that they are "on top of the problem"... or even that it knows how to put the problem right.

[GBM]

I don't recall any communication from the industry to give an impression that they are "on top of the problem"... or even that it knows how to put the problem right.

I have a feeling when Network Rail had a new MD (?) they admitted there was a problem and they were/would be working on it.
A year ago/two years ago?
Somewhere discussed on this forum? 

[TaplowGreen]

I don't recall any communication from the industry to give an impression that they are "on top of the problem"... or even that it knows how to put the problem right.

I have a feeling when Network Rail had a new MD (?) they admitted there was a problem and they were/would be working on it.
A year ago/two years ago?
Somewhere discussed on this forum? 

This may be what you're after?

https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=29248.0

There's a NR^» (Network Rail - home page) report from 2024 within the thread which details how they acknowledge that the Thames Valley/Paddington is a "critical corridor" and how they intend to improve its reliability.

I'd say they still have some way to go.