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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Paddington rail disruption to Christmas getaway | Paddington rail disruption to Christmas getaway |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Passengers travelling to and from London's Paddington station have been hit by delays and cancellations. | Passengers travelling to and from London's Paddington station have been hit by delays and cancellations. |
| Heathrow Connect and Heathrow Express services, from Paddington to Heathrow Airport, have been suspended. | |
| First Great Western trains in and out of Paddington experienced cancellations and delays of up to 60 minutes. | |
| Friday is expected to be London's busiest day of the year for road, rail and air travel as thousands of people begin their festive getaway. | Friday is expected to be London's busiest day of the year for road, rail and air travel as thousands of people begin their festive getaway. |
| Tube delays | Tube delays |
| According to Network Rail, a fire in an equipment room next to the track in west London on Thursday morning meant only two of the four lines were open on Friday morning. | According to Network Rail, a fire in an equipment room next to the track in west London on Thursday morning meant only two of the four lines were open on Friday morning. |
| Network Rail said the fire damage was so extensive it has had to rebuild the equipment room from the ground up but it hopes to have all lines back open "some time this morning". | Network Rail said the fire damage was so extensive it has had to rebuild the equipment room from the ground up but it hopes to have all lines back open "some time this morning". |
| No trains were running between Paddington and Heathrow Airport, putting extra pressure on the Tube network. | No trains were running between Paddington and Heathrow Airport, putting extra pressure on the Tube network. |
| On the Tube, there were severe delays on the Bakerloo line and minor delays on the Jubilee line due to a signalling systems failure. | On the Tube, there were severe delays on the Bakerloo line and minor delays on the Jubilee line due to a signalling systems failure. |
| 'Mayhem' | 'Mayhem' |
| BBC News website reporter Jane Mower travelled to Paddington from Maidenhead. | BBC News website reporter Jane Mower travelled to Paddington from Maidenhead. |
| She said: "It took me almost two hours longer than normal to get home last night and train staff were telling us then that the problem would continue into today. | She said: "It took me almost two hours longer than normal to get home last night and train staff were telling us then that the problem would continue into today. |
| "When I arrived at Maidenhead this morning several trains had been cancelled in both directions and others were delayed and we only had to pay off-peak ticket prices. | "When I arrived at Maidenhead this morning several trains had been cancelled in both directions and others were delayed and we only had to pay off-peak ticket prices. |
| "If this continues for the rest of the day it is going to cause mayhem as everyone tries to get away for the Christmas break." | "If this continues for the rest of the day it is going to cause mayhem as everyone tries to get away for the Christmas break." |
| Heathrow Airport said it was expecting 123,000 passengers to depart and 104,000 to arrive. | Heathrow Airport said it was expecting 123,000 passengers to depart and 104,000 to arrive. |
| At Gatwick about 1.5 million people are expected to travel through the airport between 17 December and 2 January. | At Gatwick about 1.5 million people are expected to travel through the airport between 17 December and 2 January. |
| Volunteers from the London 2012 Olympic Games have been drafted in to help passengers at both airports. | Volunteers from the London 2012 Olympic Games have been drafted in to help passengers at both airports. |
| They will be handing out children's packs and giving safety advice. | They will be handing out children's packs and giving safety advice. |
| On the roads, dozens of sets of roadworks have been lifted on major routes but the Highways Agency is urging drivers to check the weather forecast, with heavy rain in much of the country expected to cause more flooding. | On the roads, dozens of sets of roadworks have been lifted on major routes but the Highways Agency is urging drivers to check the weather forecast, with heavy rain in much of the country expected to cause more flooding. |
| Have you been affected by the disruption? Send us your comments using the form below. | Have you been affected by the disruption? Send us your comments using the form below. |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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