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Evening Standard

National

Charlotte Ambrose

London travel news LIVE: Thameslink, Elizabeth line and Central line trains severely delayed

M25 Heathrow Airport

Commuters are facing delays on many Thameslink services, the Elizabeth line and the Central line during morning rush hour on Thursday.

Thameslink trains between St Albans City and West Hampstead are set to face 25 minute delays until 10am due to an earlier emergency services incident.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth line services are facing 15 minute delays due to an earlier incident at Paddington where the communication alarm was activated after a customer’s bag strap became stuck in the train doors.

Elsewhere, there are severe delays on the Central line between Leytonstone and Hainault via Newbury Park due to a signal failure at Barkingside.

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Thameslink statement on delays this morning

09:31 , Charlotte Ambrose

Thameslink trains continue facing 15 minute delays due to an earlier customer incident.

A Thameslink spokesperson told the Standard: "At about 6am this morning one of our drivers saw a person on the track. Thanks to their quick thinking, they safely brought their train to a halt and no-one was injured. Power was shut off to all lines for around 25 minutes until the person was safely removed.

"This is a very busy route with more than 30 trains an hour passing one way or the other, so trains and passengers were significantly disrupted. We still had delays of around 25 minutes an hour later and we expect service recovery to continue until 10am.

"Thameslink tickets continue to be accepted for no extra cost on the Tube and Southern services on any reasonable alternative route. We're sorry to anyone who was held up this morning. If your journey was delayed by 15 minutes or more then you can claim compensation from the Thameslink website."

20 minute delays on M25 in Cobham

09:20 , Charlotte Ambrose

There are severe delays on the M25 in Cobham in the anticlockwise direction between junctions 11 and 10.

Delays of up to 20 minutes are expected until 9.45am.

Thameslink update: 15 minute delays expected until 10am

09:17 , Charlotte Ambrose

Thameslink trains between St Pancras and St Albans City are expected to continue facing delays until 10am.

While services are running again between St Albans and West Hampstead, National Rail warned short notice alterations or cancellations may be possible.

Most trains will face 15 minute delays.

Routes impacted

Between Bedford and Brighton / Three Bridges / East Grinstead / Rainham (Kent) / Gatwick Airport, between Luton and Sutton / Elephant & Castle / Orpington / Rainham (Kent), and also between St Albans City and Sutton

Elizabeth line delays: Passenger got bag strap stuck in door

09:10 , Charlotte Ambrose

Commuters across the Elizabeth line are facing 15 minute delays during morning rush hour after a passenger got the strap of their bag stuck in a train door and pulled the passenger alarm.

A spokesperson for TfL told the Standard that the incident was resolved quickly and the train was back on the move within minutes.

Update: Trains between Euston and Manchester continue facing hour long delays

08:52 , Charlotte Ambrose

Trains running between Euston and Manchester are set to continue facing hour long delays until 10am following an earlier emergency services incident in the Wolverhampton area.

London routes impacted

Avanti West Coast services between Crewe / Edinburgh / Glasgow Central and Birmingham New Street, also between Edinburgh / Glasgow Central / Lancaster / Liverpool Lime Street / Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston

Severe delays on the A3 in Surrey near junction with M25

08:50 , Charlotte Ambrose

Traffic delays of up to 15 minutes have built up on the A3 southbound in Surrey between the A245 and the junction with the M25.

Normal traffic conditions are expected by 9.30am.

Elizabeth line delays from Paddington following communication alarm alert

08:37 , Charlotte Ambrose

Elizabeth line services from Paddington are set to face 15 minute delays until 10am due to the communication alarm having been set off.

Routes impacted

Between Heathrow Terminal 4 / London Paddington / Maidenhead / Reading and Abbey Wood, also between Heathrow Terminal 5 / London Paddington and Shenfield

Central line delays due to signal failure

08:34 , Charlotte Ambrose

There are severe delays on the Central line between Leytonstone and Woodford via Newbury Park due to a signal failure at Barkingside.

Elsewhere, earlier delays on the District line have cleared.

Delays between St Pancras and St Albans City until 9am

08:32 , Charlotte Ambrose

Disruption to Thameslink services operating between St Pancras and St Albans City are expected until 9am.

Trains may face delays of up to 25 minutes, affecting stations including Three Bridges, Gatwick Airport and Elephant and Castle.

All routes impacted

Lane reopened on M25 between junctions 16 and 17

08:15 , Charlotte Ambrose

Lanes have reopened on the M25 clockwise between junctions 15 and 16 following an earlier crash.

While the closure has cleared, traffic is still set to face 30 minute delays until around 8.30am.

25 minute delays between Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway

08:09 , Charlotte Ambrose

Trains running between Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway are facing 25 minute delays due to congestion caused by earlier disruption at Chalfont and Latimer.

As a result, fewer trains are running on all lines and disruption is expected until 9.30am.

District line update: Severe delays between Barking and Upminster

08:07 , Charlotte Ambrose

There are severe delays on the District line from Barking to Upminster due to an earlier faulty train at Fulham Broadway.

Meanwhile, there are further minor delays between Edgware Road and Wimbledon.

Tickets are being accepted at no extra cost on buses and C2C services.

Traffic on M25 in Essex cleared

07:42 , Charlotte Ambrose

Earlier disruption on the M25 anticlockwise between junctions 28 and 27 due to an earlier crash has cleared.

Due to a separate incident, one lane is closed and traffic is expected until 9.45am on the M25 clockwise between junctions 16 and 17.

Meanwhile, 15 minute delays have built up on the M25 anticlockwise between junctions 30 and 29.

Trains from London Euston to Manchester facing hour long delays

07:27 , Charlotte Ambrose

Passengers travelling between London Euston and Manchester could be hit with hour long delays following an emergency service incident.

Major disruption is expected until 10am, with trains facing potential cancellation, delays or revisions.

London routes impacted

Thameslink trains facing 25 minute delays

07:16 , Charlotte Ambrose

Many Thameslink services are facing delays of up to 25 minutes due to separate issues including a points failure and an incident involving the emergency services.

Trains running between Sevenoaks and Blackfriars, along with those travelling between Brighton and St Albans City are facing disruption.

Regular service is expected to return by 7.30am.

Routes impacted

Between Brighton / Three Bridges / East Grinstead / Rainham (Kent) / Gatwick Airport and Bedford, between Sutton (Surrey) / Elephant & Castle / Orpington / Rainham (Kent) and Luton, and also between Sutton (Surrey) and St Albans City

Between Sevenoaks and London Blackfriars / Finsbury Park / Welwyn Garden City

Severe District line delays between Earl's Court and Wimbledon

07:14 , Charlotte Ambrose

Commuters will face severe delays on the District line between Earl’s Court and Wimbledon due to a faulty train at Fulham Broadway.

Tickets are being accepted on buses at no extra cost, while there is good service on the rest of the line.

TfL reported good service on all other lines as of 7.13am.

20 minute delays on M25 in Essex area

07:12 , Charlotte Ambrose

Drivers on a section of the M25 in the Essex area will face delays of up to 20 minutes due to an earlier collision.

A lane is closed and congestion is building up on the M25 anticlockwise between junctions 28 and 27.

Normal traffic conditions are expected by 8am.

Update on M25 crash from London Ambulance Service

Wednesday 1 October 2025 09:01 , Charlotte Ambrose

A London Ambulance spokesperson said :“We were called at 4.39am this morning to reports of a road traffic collision on the M25 near Heathrow Airport.

“We sent an ambulance crew, two paramedics in fast response cars, an incident response officer and our Hazardous Area Response Team. We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance.

“We treated a patient and took him to a major trauma centre as a priority. A second patient was taken to hospital by South East Coast Ambulance Service.”

Traffic diversion on M25 near Heathrow Airport following earlier crash

Wednesday 1 October 2025 08:42 , Charlotte Ambrose

Traffic on the M25 clockwise at junction 14 near Heathrow Airport is being diverted due to an earlier crash which is causing hour long delays.

National Highways advised drivers heading towards Heathrow Airport to allow plenty of time for journeys.

Vehicles are being diverted via the exit and entry slip roads in an “up & over” closure.

A lane is closed on the #A12 southbound between J24 and J23 due to a collision.

There is around 5 miles of congestion on approach which is adding around an hour to normal journey times pic.twitter.com/StL4eqLDQG
— National Highways: East (@HighwaysEAST) October 1, 2025

Man rushed to hospital after M25 crash confirms London Fire Brigade

Wednesday 1 October 2025 08:33 , Charlotte Ambrose

A man has been rushed to hospital following a crash on the M25, according to the London Fire Brigade (LFB).

In a statement the LFB said: “Firefighters attended a road traffic collision on the M25 near Heathrow Airport.

“The collision occurred on the clockwise carriageway at junction 14. It involved a car and a lorry. One man was released from one of the vehicles by firefighters and taken to hospital. There were no reports of any further injuries.

“The carriageway remains closed clockwise at junction 14 with motorists being diverted via the slip roads. National Highways is providing traffic updates.

“The Brigade was called at 4.41am and firefighters from Hayes Fire Station, along with Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, attended the scene. The Brigade left the scene by 6.23am, with the incident left in the care of the Metropolitan Police and National Highways.”

Drivers continue facing hour long delays on M25

Wednesday 1 October 2025 08:22 , Charlotte Ambrose

Drivers are facing hour long delays on the M25 near Heathrow Airport due to a road closure and heavy traffic build up due to an earlier crash.

Long delays are expected until 1.30pm, while the road remains closed on the M25 clockwise at junction 14.

Traffic has built up on the M25 clockwise between junctions 12 and 14, with normal traffic conditions expected by 11am.

Further delays on the M25

Wednesday 1 October 2025 07:54 , Charlotte Ambrose

Drivers are facing 30 minute delays on the M25 anticlockwise between junctions 17 and 15 near Rickmansworth.

Meanwhile, the M25 clockwise at junction 14 near Heathrow Airport is closed due to an earlier crash.

As a result, drivers on the M25 clockwise between junctions 12 and 14 are set to face 50 minute delays, with normal traffic conditions expected by 12.30pm.

Central line delays resolved

Wednesday 1 October 2025 07:38 , Charlotte Ambrose

Earlier delays on the Central line due to train cancellations have been cleared as of 7.37am.

Meanwhile, the Jubilee line remains delayed due to an earlier faulty train at North Greenwich.

TfL reported good service on all other lines.

50 minute delays on M25 due to crash near Heathrow Airport

Wednesday 1 October 2025 07:32 , Charlotte Ambrose

Traffic is building up on the M25 near Heathrow Airport due to an earlier crash.

The M25 clockwise at junction 14 is closed, with drivers set to face 50 minute delays until 12pm.

Meanwhile, traffic is building up beyond the incident on the M25 clockwise between junctions 13 and 14, with drivers set to face long delays until 8am.