New Delhi: A blackout on Monday afternoon caused chaos within London’s transport network by shutting down a number of London Underground lines and the Elizabeth line. This resulted in stranded commuters and stations being evacuated. Then came the disruption – around 2.30 PM – which hit some of the busiest routes during the pre-rush hour period, bringing the normal commute to a standstill as frustration mounted.
All three lines saw complete suspensions on the Bakerloo, Waterloo, and City lines; partial closures; and severe delays on the Jubilee and Northern lines. On the Elizabeth Line, a key commuter and airport connection, no service operated through Paddington and Abbey Wood, causing delays throughout the network. The suspension of the Mildmay Line between Highbury & Islington and Stratford also disrupted overground services, including those mentioned on the Weaver and Suffragette lines.
Transport for London (TfL) said the outage was the result of a “brief power ‘blip'” in south-west London due to a cable fault which caused a fire at an electrical substation in Maida Vale. Three metres of high-voltage cabling were destroyed, the London Fire Brigade reported. National Grid, which runs the capital’s electricity network, said that, while the fault was cleared in seconds, it caused a dip in voltage, which affected TfL’s low-voltage system.
Stations such as Waterloo, Paddington, and Oxford Circus witnessed chaos as they shut down their gates and turned away passengers. At Embankment and Charing Cross, commuters were forced off platforms as TfL staff directed them to overcrowded buses. One irate passenger, who said they were “stranded” on Tottenham Court Road, posted about their ordeal on social media. Another described a mad dash from Embankment station.
Claire Mann, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “We are sorry for the disruption this has caused and are aiming to return to a full service as quickly as possible, but delays will continue.” The Elizabeth Line was operating a limited service once again late afternoon, but disruption remained severe on the Jubilee and Piccadilly lines. By evening, the Northern and Waterloo & City lines had only minor delays.
The failure exposed weaknesses in London’s deteriorating transport network, prompting an immediate demand for an urgent investigation into the services. Keith Prince, the Conservative spokesman for transport at City Hall, has warned of a more widespread blackout. This is after “creaking infrastructure” led to recent power problems at Heathrow and in Maida Vale. Commuters, meanwhile, were left trudging home or cramming onto buses. Many vented anger over traffic jams, missed meetings, and ailing travel plans on social media platforms.
TfL told passengers to check its website for “updates in realtime” and added that “Underground tickets are also valid on London buses via any reasonable route.” The capital’s transport network has run out of time to recover before rush hour today.