Rail services to and from Cheshunt faced significant disruption on Sunday 5 April 2026 after a trackside fire blocked lines between London Liverpool Street and Hackney Downs.
The incident began at 17:40, resulting in roughly four hours of delays, cancellations, and diversions for passengers. Services did not resume until the scene was cleared by National Rail at 21:59.
Commuters in Hertfordshire were particularly affected as the fire disrupted the Weaver line operated by London Overground, as well as Greater Anglia and Stansted Express services. The disruption occurred during the Easter bank holiday weekend, a time when rail travel was already being impacted by separate, planned engineering work across the network.
Passengers who experienced delays of 15 minutes or more on Greater Anglia services can apply for compensation through the Delay Repay 15 scheme. Depending on the length of the wait, travellers may be eligible to receive between 25% and 100% of their ticket cost back.
This incident is part of a recurring pattern of trackside fires on these routes, with similar events previously recorded in June 2022 and twice in 2025. Following these disruptions, travellers are reminded to check for updates before starting their journeys, particularly as additional closures are planned for the Weaver line between Hackney Downs and Cheshunt from 27 April to 30 April 2026.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
