MAJOR railway lines are closed due to a gas leak leaving commuters stranded in rush hour – with the disruption expected to last all day.
Passengers are urged not to travel between Reading and Swindon as engineers frantically attempt to fix the issue, while other routes are seeing significant delays.
Trains to Paddington from Reading cancelled at 6am this morningCredit: RedditThe station is among those affectedCredit: Getty
The gas leak close to railway land at Didcot Parkway in South Oxfordshire is expected to cause severe disruption throughout Wednesday.
The Reading-Didcot section of the route is the gateway from Paddington towards Swindon, Bristol, Bath, South Wales, Cheltenham and other parts of the West Country.
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Diversions are in place but Great Western Rail is cancelling some services outright because trains can’t get through Reading-Didcot.
A total of 72 services to and from Didcot are cancelled, while 39 have been axed at Oxford and 45 at Reading.
One social media user posted a photo from Swindon showing trains to Paddington cancelled at 6am.
They wrote: “Apparently there’s been a gas leak around Didcot Parkway so they’ve cancelled most of the services, and no replacement bus services running either.
“The staff at Swindon reckon this will last all day and probably tomorrow.”
Another person responded: “Absolutely ridiculous… not good enough.”
GWR is running roughly one train an hour Paddington-Bath/Bristol via a diversionary route – a fraction of the normal capacity.
It has warned only to travel if absolutely necessary.
Replacement buses are running between Swindon, Didcot and Reading but Network Rail says capacity won’t be enough for everyone.
CrossCountry is also telling passengers not to travel between Reading and Oxford – with one person responding to the company’s X post with: “Thanks for ruining my whole day.”
Network Rail said: “Engineers from gas distribution company SGN are on site working to rectify the problem as quickly and safely as possible.
“Network Rail and train operators are working together to manage the impact on passengers, but normal services cannot operate until the leak has been repaired because the railway falls within the safety exclusion zone.
“Severe disruption is expected to long-distance services that would usually travel through Didcot, and passengers are being warned that trains able to run either side of the affected area will be extremely busy.
“GWR will continue to operate as many trains as possible either side of the incident.”
GWR expects to be able to operate services between:
Reading and London Paddington
Swindon and Cheltenham Spa
Swindon and Chippenham/Bath/Bristol
South Wales to Bristol Temple Meads
Worcester and Oxford
An hourly service between London Paddington and Bath/Bristol via an alternative, diversionary route
Oxford and Didcot
An hourly service Bristol Temple Meads and Didcot
Usual timetabled services that do not run between Reading and Didcot
A limited bus replacement service will operate between Swindon, Didcot and Reading
ALL departing flights from UK airports including both Heathrow and Gatwick are majorly disrupted due to an “air traffic control failure”.
Thousands of passengers have been stranded across the country as flights are grounded.
Passengers have been stranded as all departing flights face major disruption including at HeathrowCredit: AlamyUK airports are in chaos as departing flights are disrupted or cancelledCredit: @flightradar24/ X
The country’s air traffic control service NATS has a “technical issue” causing widespread chaos for departing flights.
Planes arriving into airports are not impacted.
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A Heathrow spokesperson said: “The air traffic control service NATS is experiencing a technical issue which is affecting departing flights at UK airports.
“We are supporting our local NATS team in their efforts to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Major airports like Gatwick are included in those affectedCredit: AlamyPassengers have been warned to expect disruption (stock image)Credit: Getty
“We will provide updated information when we have it.
“We apologise to those disrupted and advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information.
“This is affecting all UK airports, not just Heathrow and Gatwick.”
Fuming passengers told The Sun they’re stuck abroad because their flights are unable to leave over the issue in the UK, and have been warned they may have to get hotels for the night.
A National Air Traffic Services spokesperson said in a statement: “We are investigating a technical issue which is causing some disruption to flight departures.
“Our engineers are on site and we will provide an update as soon as we can.
“We apologise for the delay this will cause to journeys, passengers should check with their airline on the status of their flight.”
Are you affected? Email emily.davies@thesun.co.uk
It said in an update: “We have identified that the issue was in our flight processing system. Our engineers are on site and working urgently to resume normal operations as quickly as possible.
“We recognise the ongoing disruption to travel, for which we sincerely apologise. Flights are still departing and airspace is open, but recovery will take some time.
“We will provide further updates as soon as possible. Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline.
“We will provide further updates as soon as we have confirmed information, at http://www.nats.aero and on X at @NATS.”
Airport management at Heathrow said all outgoing flights have been temporarily halted.
Belfast City Airport also warned of “some disruption” to flights.
Manchester Airport Group, the company that operates Manchester Airport, Stansted Airport in Essex and East Midlands Airport in Leicestershire, said flights from all three had been affected by the air traffic control issue.
It grounded 500flightsacross the UKand Brits were stuck for hours on a Bank Holiday.
The “one in 15 million” event led to thousands of flights being cancelled and delayed.
An investigation launched by NATS revealed that a flight plan errorresulted in the failure, which meant the air space was forced to close down – and only resumed 10 hours later.
In the aftermath, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said NATS could raise the amount it charges airlines by 25 per cent to ensure “safety and quality service”.
The fee increased from £47 to £64 per flight, an increase of 43p per passenger to £2.08 on average.
Sarah, from Manchester, said that people were left “confused and upset” by the chaos while at Lisbon Airport.
She told Sun Travel: “We arrived at the correct time for our 4.30pm flight to Heathrow but were then told our flight was four hours delayed.
“The queues are backing up at the BA check in desks with confused and upset people and crying babies.”
A spokesperson for Jersey Airport said: “UK air traffic control is currently experiencing issues which is impacting flights across the UK including services between Jersey and UK.
“Passengers are advised to check the latest flight information directly with their airline.”
Gatwick Airport added: “We are aware of a NATS technical issue that is currently affecting a number of UK airports, including London Gatwick.
“Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for more information regarding their flights.”
Disgruntled travellers have flocked to social media following the disruption.
One said: “Still stuck next in line on the runway at LHR. 90 minutes in.” Another said: “BA 742 back to engines off and waiting. Approaching 2 hour mark in 15 minutes.”
Another person posted on X: “We are currently sat on Alicante tarmac going to Manchester and this is affecting us. Not just London!”
A third said: “Luton airport too! We’re stranded on the actual plane.”
Four tips to help you claim back compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled
MORE than seven million of us are expected to fly to European holiday spots this summer.
As peak holiday season hits, some delays are unavoidable.
If you’re one of those whose flight is disrupted, knowing your rights will help you claim back compensation.
GROUNDED: If your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before you fly, you are entitled to a new flight or refund and possibly compensation.
This applies to flights departing from a UK or EU airport, regardless of airline, and to flights arriving at a UK or EU airport, if operated by a UK or EU airline. In other cases, you’ll probably be entitled to a refund or an alternative flight, but you may not get compensation.
LATE LEAVING: Again, for EU or UK flights or airlines, if your arrival is delayed by more than three hours, you’re usually entitled to compensation — unless the delay was caused by circumstances beyond the airline’s control, like severe weather or air traffic control strikes.
Email or phone the airline, providing flight details and booking references, as well as the length of the delay. The amount you’ll get depends on the delay length and journey distance.
MEAL MATHS: If a flight is delayed by at least two hours for short flights or three hours for medium-distance, or four hours for long-haul, the airline must provide free meals and refreshments.
If the delay means you have to stay overnight, the airline must provide hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the hotel.
If it doesn’t provide these and you end up paying for food, a hotel or transport yourself, keep all receipts so you can claim back reasonable expenses later.
PAPER TRAIL: Airlines often dispute compensation, so arm yourself with clear evidence.
Take photos of delay announcements on departure boards, and gate changes.
Keep emails, text alerts and boarding passes.
You can claim for delays that happened up to six years ago.
