A major power outage brought large parts of the London Underground to a standstill on Monday, disrupting multiple lines and stranding commuters during the afternoon rush.
The incident began around 2:30pm after a brief but critical power “blip” linked to a National Grid issue triggered the shutdown of signalling systems. The Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines were fully suspended, while the Elizabeth, Jubilee, and Northern lines were partially closed. Several Overground lines, including the Gospel Oak to Barking line and Lea Valley lines, were also affected.
Though power has since been restored, severe delays and partial closures are expected to continue into the evening. Mainline trains from Liverpool Street are also disrupted due to an unrelated lineside fire.
The episode has drawn comparisons to a major blackout in Spain last month, when a sudden frequency drop on the grid—possibly linked to over-reliance on solar power—led to a nationwide outage. Engineers are still investigating the cause of Monday’s London failure.
