London travel news LIVE: Major disruption to and from Euston due to damaged wires in Midlands

Euston Station, pictured during disruption earlier this month (Yui Mok/PA Wire)
Euston Station, pictured during disruption earlier this month (Yui Mok/PA Wire)

Services to and from Euston have been hit by major disruption on Thursday.

Damage to the overhead wires between Coventry and Birmingham International means some lines are blocked on Thursday afternoon, with National Rail warning some trains “may be severely delayed by up to 80 minutes, diverted or revised”.

Disruption was expected to last until at least 6pm.Earlier trains to and from Euston were affected after a train crashed into a piece of wood near Watford.

Avanti West Coast between London Euston and Lancaster, Manchester Piccadilly, Blackpool North, and Glasgow Central were affected.

So were London Northwestern Railway services between London Euston and Tring, and Milton Keynes Central, as well as Southern trains running between East Croydon and Hemel Hempstead.

Live updates below.

That's all for today

22:02 , Daniel Keane

Thanks for following our live coverage.

South Western Railway services disrupted in south London

19:34 , Josh Salisbury

South Western Railway services are blocked between Clapham Junction and Richmond.

The company says this is due to an “operational incident at Putney”.

Disruption in expected until 9pm.

Minor delays on Bakerloo Line

18:27 , Daniel Keane

There is currently minor delays between Queen's Park and Harrow & Wealdstone while Network Rail fix a track fault at Queen's Park.

Minor delays on Central Line

17:47 , Daniel Keane

There are currently minor delays between Leytonstone and Hainault due to train cancellations.

Severe delays on Piccadilly Line

17:09 , Daniel Keane

There are currently severe delays on the Piccadilly Line between Acton Town and Uxbridge due to an earlier signal failure at Rayners Lane.

Euston services hit by fresh major disruption

15:17 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Services to and from Euston have been hit by major disruption which is expected to last until 6pm.

Damage to the overhead wires between Coventry and Birmingham International means some lines are blocked, with National Rail warning some trains “may be severely delayed by up to 80 minutes, diverted or revised”.

Services affected are:

  • Avanti West Coast trains between London Euston and Birmiingham New Street / Blackpool North / Glasgow Central / Edinburgh

  • CrossCountry services between Bournemouth and Manchester Piccadilly

  • London Northwestern Railway services between London Euston and Birmingham New Street

15:12 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

The disruption to services to and from Euston caused by a train hitting a piece of wood near Watford Junction have now cleared, says National Rail.

Euston disruption now expected until 2pm

12:48 , Sami Quadri

National Rail is now saying the disruption affecting trains to and from Euston is expected to last until 2pm.

Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway trains running to and from Euston may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.

Minor delays on Central Line

12:18 , Sami Quadri

The Central Line has been hit with minor delays between Leytonstone and Hainault due to a shortage of trains.

Euston disruption now expected until 12.30pm

11:44 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

National Rail is now saying the disruption affecting trains to and from Euston - caused by a train striking a piece of wood - is expected to last until 12.30pm.

It initially hoped the issue would be resolved by around 9am, but unfortunately the issues are still persisting.

Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway trains running to and from Euston may be delayed by up to 45 minutes or revised, says National Rail.

Good service across Underground network

11:07 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

There is currently a good service operating across all London Underground lines, as well as the Overground and DLR, says TfL.

Minor delays on Piccadilly Line

10:57 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

There is still a largely good service across the Underground and Overground network this morning.

TfL is currently only reporting minor delays on the Piccadilly Line, between Arnos Grove and Heathrow Terminals/Uxbridge, due to an earlier signal failure at Knightsbridge.

Euston disruption now expected until 11.30am

10:32 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

The time by which National Rail hopes the disruption to Euston trains will be resolved this morning has been pushed back again.

It initially hoped services would be running as normal by 9am, but is now saying the disruption will likely last until 11.30am.

Southern services are no longer affected, however.

The services affected are:

  • Avanti West Coast trains between London Euston and Lancaster, Manchester Piccadilly, Blackpool North, and Glasgow Central

  • London Northwestern Railway services between London Euston and Tring, and Milton Keynes Central

Disruption caused by train hitting piece of wood

10:01 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

The disruption caused to trains including those in and out of Euston this morning was caused by a train striking a piece of wood, says Network Rail.

A spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to passengers affected by delays this morning between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes Central due to a train striking a piece of wood in the Kings Langley area earlier today.

“Trains are currently running at reduced speeds on the line. Passengers are advised to check National Rail Enquiries for the latest travel updates.”

Euston disruption now expected to last until 10.30am

09:35 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

The disruption affecting services to and from Euston - caused by a train hitting an obstruction between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes - is now due to last until 10.30am, says National Rail.

Traffic queue at M25 junction 29 now 10 minutes long

09:00 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

The travel time for traffic queuing on the M25 anticlockwise at junction 29 (at the A127 for Romford/Basildon) has now dropped to around 10 minutes, says traffic monitoring system Inrix.

Kirstie Allsopp among travellers bemoaning Euston disruption this morning

08:52 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp has shared her frustration on X, after being met with cancelled and delayed trains at Euston this morning.

She shared a photo of crowds staring up at the departures board, which showed one train cancelled and the majority of others delayed.

She also praised the Labour Party - which has pledged that it will renationalise the railways if elected to run the country - for getting it “spot on in recognising that trains matter”.

Two-mile traffic queue on M25 in Essex

08:17 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Traffic is queuing for two miles on the M25 anticlockwise from junction 29 at A127 (Romford/Basildon).

It is tailing back to junction 28, for the A12 and Brentwood/Brook Street Roundabout.Travel time is 20 minutes, according to traffic monitoring system Inrix.

The cause of the incident is currently unclear.

Minor delays on Northern Line

08:03 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

In good news for commuters, there is currently a good service across the Underground and Overground network this morning, aside from minor delays on the Northern Line due to a train shortage.

Rush-hour disruption as train hits obstruction near Watford Junction

07:57 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Disruption is expected until 9am, after a train has crashed into an obstruction near Watford.

Trains to and from Euston are among those affected.

National Rail warns trains are having to run at reduced speeds on the line towards Milton Keynes Central. As a result, trains may be delayed by up to 45 minutes or revised.

The disruption is expected to last until 9am.

Services affected:

  • Avanti West Coast trains between London Euston and Lancaster, Manchester Piccadilly, Blackpool North, and Glasgow Central are affected.

  • London Northwestern Railway services between London Euston and Tring, and Milton Keynes Central

  • Southern trains running between East Croydon and Hemel Hempstead.