Tens of thousands of commuters face travel chaos as a power failure has shut down much of Transport for London's network.
The Transport for London (TfL) website on Monday afternoon showed the entire Bakerloo and Suffragette lines were suspended, while there were severe delays and part suspensions on the Elizabeth line and the Jubilee and Northern lines.
There are severe delays on the Elizabeth line between Paddington and Heathrow Airport/Reading and between Whitechapel and Shenfield. There are minor delays on the rest of the line.
The Bakerloo line, linking Elephant & Castle with northwest London, is completely suspended.
The Suffragette and Weaver Overground lines are completely suspended, and the Mildmay line is partially suspended with major delays.
Claire Mann, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Due to a brief interruption of the power supply to our network, several lines lost power for a short period earlier this afternoon. We apologise to customers whose journeys will have been affected. We are working to get the whole network up and running again as quickly as possible.”
TfL said it is currently working with National Grid to determine the cause of the outage.
National Grid said there was a “fault” on its transmission network in central London.
Key Points
- Commuters facing chaos as power outage shuts down major tube lines
- Several central London stations completely closed
- Stansted airport trains from London Liverpool Street suspended
- Five lines affected by power outage
- Full report | Several London Underground lines suspended after power cut
Electric failure between King’s Cross and Alexandra Palace
18:59 , Jabed Ahmed⚡️#FinsburyPark - A failure of the electricity supply between London Kings Cross and Alexandra Palace means some lines are currently disrupted. As a result, trains may be delayed by up to 20 minutes.
— National Rail (@nationalrailenq) May 12, 2025
13 lines suspended or delayed
18:29 , Jabed Ahmed
Passengers forced to wait on train tracks due to 'fire'
18:19 , Jabed AhmedAbout half an hour ago just had to get off a train on the tracks and walk back towards Northumberland Park as fire. Doubt they will be back on yet. pic.twitter.com/uTVFd2Nexu
— CT (@chrlotylo) May 12, 2025
Trespasser on the track adds to commuters' woes
18:02 , Simon CalderWhile Tube services remain extremely disrupted, another problem has appeared for commuters on the previously unaffected District and Circle line.
Transport for London has warned of "severe delays while we deal with a trespasser on the track at Mansion House".
TfL adds: "Tickets will be accepted on London Buses via any reasonable route."
Meanwhile, on the Piccadilly line, the delays between Acton Town and Heathrow Airport are now classed as "severe".
Watch | Simon Calder explains what caused the disruption
17:53 , Jabed AhmedDisruption cause by fire at substation in west London, fire brigade say
17:49 , Jabed AhmedThe disruption has been caused by a cable fault which led to a fire at an electrical substation in the Cunningham Place and Aberdeen Place area in Maida Vale, a London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesperson said.
Firefighters were called to the substation and three metres of high voltage cabling were destroyed, it is understood.
It comes weeks after a fire at the same substation, which saw elderly and vulnerable residents among those moved out of their homes.
However, Monday’s fire is understood to have involved different equipment to the blaze on 29 April.
National Grid says 'fault' in transmission network caused outage
17:17 , Jabed AhmedNational Grid said there was a “fault” on its transmission network in central London.
A spokesperson said: “We apologise for any inconvenience following a fault on our transmission network in central London this afternoon.
“The fault was resolved within seconds and did not interrupt supply from our network, but a consequent voltage dip may have briefly affected power supplies on the low voltage distribution network in the area.
“We once again apologise for any inconvenience and ongoing travel disruption.”
Transport for London issues first statement
17:16 , Simon CalderClaire Mann, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Due to a brief interruption of the power supply to our network, several lines lost power for a short period earlier this afternoon. We apologise to customers whose journeys will have been affected. We are working to get the whole network up and running again as quickly as possible.”
TfL said it is currently working with National Grid to determine the cause of the outage.
Stansted Express trains restored
17:08 , Simon CalderFive minutes after telling Stansted-bound passengers to take coaches or taxis to the airport, the 5.10pm from London Liverpool Street look set to run on schedule (though looking at rush from the concourse to platform 5, it will be extra-crowded).
All the lines suspended or delayed
17:07 , Jabed AhmedAs of 5pm, the following lines are suspended or delayed:
Bakerloo - Suspended
Elizabeth line - Severe delays
Jubilee line - Severe delays
Piccadilly line - Severe delays between Acton Town and Heathrow Terminals / Uxbridge, and minor delays on the rest of the line.
Northern line - Minor delays
Mildmay Overground - Suspended between Highbury & Islington and Stratford, with severe delays on the rest of the line.
Suffragette Overground - Suspended
Weaver Overground - Suspended
More network closures and delays
16:47 , Jabed AhmedThere is no service between Highbury & Islington and Stratford on the Mildmay Overground line. There is severe delays on the rest of the line.
There are severe delays between Acton Town and Heathrow Terminals/Uxbridge on the Piccadilly line, and minor delays on the rest of the line.
Watch | Tube power cut: Travellers face disruption on the Elizabeth line at Paddington
16:39 , Jabed AhmedStansted airport and Cambridge trains from London Liverpool Street suspended
16:36 , Simon CalderLinks between London Liverpool Street Station, the busiest in the UK, and Stansted Airport are currently suspended.
National Rail says: "A line-side fire between Clapton and Tottenham Hale means that all lines are blocked. Trains running to/from London Liverpool Street, and between Stratford and Tottenham Hale may be cancelled, severely delayed by up to 60 minutes, revised or diverted via Seven Sisters."
Elizabeth line disruption frustrates travellers
16:16 , Jabed AhmedPassengers are being turned away from Elizabeth line services after a power cut at around 2.30pm in south-west London.
Alison Hendry, 33, and Joseph Richardson, 37, came on the Heathrow Express to Paddington after flying from Glasgow earlier on Monday.
Ms Hendry said: “It’s a bit annoying they only told us when we got here. We walked all the way across the station, we have to go all the way back.”
The pair carried suitcases from their travels and hope to reach Walthamstow in time for a comedy show on Monday evening.
Mr Richardson said: “It doesn’t even bother me. But if I was in a rush, it would.”
Heathrow access jeopardised on Elizabeth line, Heathrow Express and Piccadilly line
16:07 , Simon CalderAirport passengers and staff are experiencing problems getting to and from London Heathrow.
Thousands of Heathrow passengers and staff use the Piccadilly line of the London Underground to get to and from the UK’s busiest airport.
With the Elizabeth line severely disrupted, and cancellations on the Heathrow Express, extra pressure is expected on the Tube.
TfL says there are “minor delays between Acton Town and Heathrow Terminals and Uxbridge due to a power failure”. But the status checker says “We are unable to show live updates at the moment”.
Key parts of the Underground and Overground networks are in disarray
15:59 , Simon Calder, Travel CorrespondentThe Jubilee line, which links Canary Wharf and the South Bank with the West End, is suspended on its busiest stretch between London Bridge and Finchley Road.
The Bakerloo line, linking Elephant & Castle with northwest London, is completely suspended, as is the Waterloo & City line.
On the London Overground, the Suffragette line from Gospel Oak to Barking is out of action – as is the Weaver route from London Liverpool Street via Walthamstow to Chingford.
The Northern line earlier had no service on the “Charing Cross branch” connecting London Euston via Leicester Square and Waterloo with Kennington, nor south of Stockwell. TfL now says the line is operating with “minor delays”.
Full report | Several London Underground lines suspended after power cut
15:58 , Jabed AhmedOur Travel Correspondent Simon Calder reports:
Some central London stations completely closed
15:56 , Jabed AhmedSeveral London Underground stations have completely closed, according to TfL.
This includes: Covent Garden, South Kensington, Embankment, Putney Bridge, Tottenham Court Road, Holborn and Marble Arch.
Power cut shuts Bakerloo line at Paddington Station as TfL officials redirect passengers
15:50 , Jabed AhmedTransport for London (TfL) officials were seen directing passengers with suitcases away from Elizabeth line services at Paddington station, recommending buses across central London, after the London Underground was hit by a power failure.
The Bakerloo line entrance has been completely shut at Paddington.
TfL staff said they do not know when the entrance will reopen.
They said: “It was a power outage. The lights just went off, we don’t know anything else.
“It’s been about an hour-and-a-half now. We can’t say when it will be fixed.”
Five lines affected by power outage
15:48 , Jabed AhmedThe Elizabeth, Bakerloo, Northern, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines have all been affected by the power outage, according to TfL’s website.
Commuters facing chaos as power outage shuts down major tube lines
15:42 , Jabed AhmedMillions of commuters face travel chaos as a power failure has shut down much of Transport for London's network.
An update on Transport for London’s website informs travellers that the key east-west Elizabeth line is suspended between Paddington station and Abbey Wood in the southeast of London, with “severe delays” elsewhere on the line.
The Northern line has no service on the “Charing Cross branch” connecting London Euston via Leicester Square and Waterloo with Kennington, nor south of Stockwell.
The Bakerloo line, linking Elephant & Castle with northwest London, is completely suspended.
There is no Jubilee line service between London Bridge and Finchley Road, and severe delays on the rest of the line.
The Waterloo and City line has also been suspended.
