A massive lorry fire has closed a major motorway today causing misery for drivers.
The M62 is closed eastbound between junction 22 for Saddleworth and junction 24 for Huddersfield and Halifax.
Drivers have been warned by National Highways as well to be careful because the lorry was carrying sawdust and the fire has spread to the embankment of the motorway.
The disruption is expected to continue for some time while the fire service put out the blaze.
Meanwhile, National Rail is warning customers in the West Midlands and South West to check their journeys before travelling.
Passengers travelling between London Paddington and South Wales face having 45 minutes added to their journey times because trains are having to be diverted around flooding.
Staff are still working to clear debris blocking the line while flood water continues to recede.
Trains to and from London Euston also face delays.
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Disruption to Greater Anglia services
A speed restriction over a defective track between Gidea Park and Harold Wood means that trains have to run at a reduced speed on some lines. Trains running between Romford and Shenfield may be cancelled, delayed by up to 10 minutes or revised.
This is impacting services between London Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria/Southminster/Witham/Braintree/Clacton-on-Sea/ Colchester Town/Colchester/Harwich International/Ipswich/Norwich
Disruption is expected until 7.30pm.
Disruption on London Overground
An operational incident at Surrey Quays means that all lines are disrupted.
Trains running between Highbury & Islington and New Cross/Clapham Junction/Crystal Palace/West Croydon may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.
Disruption is expected until 5pm.
Part of M6 closed
The M6 southbound within junction 1 for Rugby has heavy traffic following a crash.
Two out of four lanes are currently closed and police are on the scene.
There are 45 minute delays in the area for drivers this afternoon.
One hour delays on major road after crash
A lane closure on the A14 westbound between junction 37 for Newmarket and junction 36 for the A11/M11 is causing one hour delays for drivers this afternoon.
This is due to a multi-vehicle crash.
There are also five-mile queues on this stretch of the road.
New overground line might not be built
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has revealed that a new overground line in northwest London might not be built if no government funding is received.
The ‘West London Orbital’ would run from West Hampstead and Hendon towards Hounslow.
‘It’s not definite, we need the funding from the government,’ he said.
‘We are going to be lobbying the government in advance of the spending review. The point we are making is that actually these new lines will enable more homes, more jobs and growth.’
M27 reopens following earlier police incident
The M27 eastbound between junction 9 for Fareham and junction 11 for Gosport has now reopened.
This follows a police-led incident.
Delays this afternoon on M6 following crash
Drivers are facing delays to their journey this afternoon on a section of the M6 motorway.
On the motorway southbound within junction 18 for Middlewich/Holmes Chapel one of four lanes is currently closed because of a crash.
Normal traffic conditions are expected again at 2.30pm.
Pictures from the scene show lorry fire on M62
Massive lorry fire closes part of M62 motorway
Drivers are facing misery this afternoon after a lorry fire has closed part of the M62 motorway.
It is impacting people driving eastbound between junction 22 for Saddleworth and junction 24 for Huddersfield and Halifax.
The fire has also spread to the embankment of the motorway and National Highways has put diversions in place.
Disruption on major GWR route expected until midday
Storm Bert brought heavy rainfall and strong winds across the Great Western Railway network last weekend.
The direct line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway was affected by flooding in the Chipping Sodbury area.
Flood water has now receded and Network Rail have removed debris which was blocking the line, which has now been fully inspected and declared safe for trains to run but delays are still expected until midday.
Train services will be impacted between London Paddington and South Wales in both directions until this time.
Car crash causes delays on part of M25
Drivers using a part of the London orbital this morning are facing delays because of a crash.
It is impacting traffic on the M25 anti-clockwise between junction 10 for Guildford/Woking/Esher and junction 9 for Leatherhead/Epsom.
There is one of four lanes closed and normal traffic conditions are expected at 11.15am.
Part of M49 remains closed this morning
The M49 is still closed northbound between the M5 and junction 22 for the M4 following an earlier crash which caused a spillage.
Emergency resurfacing is currently being done and the part of the motorway is not expected to open again until at least midday.
Road diversions are currently in place.
Delays on the Jubilee line
Commuters are facing minor delays on the Jubilee line this morning which is impacting the entire line.
This is due to train cancellations.
People can expect to wait slightly longer for their tube this morning if they are using the line.
Lorry fire closes part of the M11
Drivers on the M11 this morning are facing a partial closure of the motorway following a lorry fire.
The M11 northbound between junction 11 for Harston and junction 12 for Cambridge is closed and there are 60 minute delays in the area.
Officers are at the scene working to clear one lane to allow traffic in the closure to pass.
M27 closed in both directions after police incident
A part of the M27 has been closed this morning because of a police incident, according to National Highways.
The motorway is currently closed between junction 9 for Fareham and junction 11 for Gosport in Hampshire.
All emergency services are currently at the scene.
It is not yet known when this section of the motorway will reopen.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh resigns
Louise Haigh has resigned as Transport Secretary after pleading guilty to a criminal offence.
She last night admitted she pleaded guilty to an offence connected with incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.
In a statement on Thursday night, Ms Haigh said she discovered ‘some time later’ that the phone had not been taken.
In her resignation letter this morning, she described it as a ‘mistake’ but said that ‘whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government.’
Services from Northampton disrupted due to flooding
Services to and from Northampton are still disrupted due to flooding, which is expected to last throughout the day.
As a result, there will be a limited hourly service from Rugby – Milton Keynes, calling at Long Buckby, Northampton, and Wolverton station.
Rail replacement buses will remain in operation in between:
- Northampton – Long Buckby – Rugby
- Northampton – Wolverton – Milton Keynes Central
Disruption between London Paddington – South Wales via Bristol Parkway
Flooding in the Chipping Sodbury area is causing problems on the line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.
Workers are continuing to remove debris that is blocking the line as flood water recedes.
That work is expected to take the rest of the day.
Until then, an hourly train service will run between London Paddington and South Wales, in both directions using an alternative route, which will extend journey times by up to 45 minutes.
The trains which will depart London Paddington at XX:15 and XX:18 are currently cancelled.
Piccadilly Line part closed due to ‘significant leaf fall’
The Piccadilly Line is part suspended again this morning due to ‘poor rail conditions’ following heavy leaf fall.
Services are still facing disruption due to the recent stormy weather.
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