A points failure between Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and Terminal 5 halted some lines on the afternoon of 26 January, leading to cancellations and 30-minute delays on both the Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express. National Rail issued a disruption alert at 17:31, warning that reduced services would continue until at least 20:30.
Elizabeth Line trains could not reach Terminal 5, forcing passengers to change at Terminals 2 & 3 and board 15-minute inter-terminal shuttles. Heathrow Express ran a half-hourly service instead of its usual 15-minute frequency between London Paddington and the airport. Rail tickets were accepted on the London Underground Piccadilly Line at no extra charge.
![Points failure disrupts rail links to Heathrow, causing evening delays for flyers]()
The disruption came during a busy Monday evening peak, with many corporate travellers heading to Heathrow for long-haul departures. Travel managers were advised to divert staff to the Tube or allow an extra 45 minutes of buffer time. Heathrow Airport said flight operations were unaffected, but check-in desks remained open longer to accommodate delayed passengers.
Network Rail engineers isolated the faulty points and began repairs just after 18:00. Compensation claims are available for ticket-holders delayed by more than 15 minutes on Heathrow Express or 30 minutes on the Elizabeth Line.
For mobility planners, the incident underscores the importance of multimodal contingency planning—especially with critical nodes such as Heathrow where rail, Tube and road options can each suffer sudden failures.
Elizabeth Line trains could not reach Terminal 5, forcing passengers to change at Terminals 2 & 3 and board 15-minute inter-terminal shuttles. Heathrow Express ran a half-hourly service instead of its usual 15-minute frequency between London Paddington and the airport. Rail tickets were accepted on the London Underground Piccadilly Line at no extra charge.
The disruption came during a busy Monday evening peak, with many corporate travellers heading to Heathrow for long-haul departures. Travel managers were advised to divert staff to the Tube or allow an extra 45 minutes of buffer time. Heathrow Airport said flight operations were unaffected, but check-in desks remained open longer to accommodate delayed passengers.
Network Rail engineers isolated the faulty points and began repairs just after 18:00. Compensation claims are available for ticket-holders delayed by more than 15 minutes on Heathrow Express or 30 minutes on the Elizabeth Line.
For mobility planners, the incident underscores the importance of multimodal contingency planning—especially with critical nodes such as Heathrow where rail, Tube and road options can each suffer sudden failures.
Source: National Rail Enquiries
