Late on 2 November 2025 National Rail quietly cancelled overnight engineering works that would have closed the Elizabeth line between Ealing Broadway and London Paddington from 00:01 to 05:30. The decision means the 00:07 Heathrow Terminal 5-to-Paddington service—vital for red-eye arrivals and airline crew positioning—ran as scheduled.
The works, part of a £210 million signalling-upgrade programme, had threatened to force arriving passengers onto slower night-tube connections or taxis, adding at least 45 minutes to inbound journey times. Heathrow Airport Holdings had lobbied for deferral, citing a spike in trans-Atlantic business travellers following the 1 November easing of US ESTA renewal rules.
![Last-minute cancellation of Elizabeth line engineering works keeps Heathrow business corridor moving]()
Travel-management companies welcomed the reprieve, noting that a third of Sunday-night arrivals are corporate flyers aiming for Monday morning meetings. However, the short notice drew criticism from hotel and chauffeur firms that had already rostered extra staff. Network Rail said the decision followed “re-assessment of possession readiness” and pledged to reschedule with at least 14 days’ notice.
For mobility teams, the episode underscores the importance of real-time rail alerts in relocation apps and the need to budget for contingencies when airport rail links are vulnerable to engineering overruns. Crossrail Ltd. confirmed the signalling upgrade remains on track for completion by April 2026, after which overnight closures should shrink from 22 to 12 per year.
The works, part of a £210 million signalling-upgrade programme, had threatened to force arriving passengers onto slower night-tube connections or taxis, adding at least 45 minutes to inbound journey times. Heathrow Airport Holdings had lobbied for deferral, citing a spike in trans-Atlantic business travellers following the 1 November easing of US ESTA renewal rules.
Travel-management companies welcomed the reprieve, noting that a third of Sunday-night arrivals are corporate flyers aiming for Monday morning meetings. However, the short notice drew criticism from hotel and chauffeur firms that had already rostered extra staff. Network Rail said the decision followed “re-assessment of possession readiness” and pledged to reschedule with at least 14 days’ notice.
For mobility teams, the episode underscores the importance of real-time rail alerts in relocation apps and the need to budget for contingencies when airport rail links are vulnerable to engineering overruns. Crossrail Ltd. confirmed the signalling upgrade remains on track for completion by April 2026, after which overnight closures should shrink from 22 to 12 per year.
