Holidaymakers travelling to Heathrow were facing severe disruption on Friday due to a train derailment that crippled public transport between central London and the airport.
The incident severely affected rail services and stretches of the Elizabeth line to the west of the capital.
A freight train derailed between Reading and London Paddington, near west Ealing.
Great Western Railway, Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express services were all affected.
There were severe delays on the Elizabeth line between Paddington and Reading/Heathrow Airport.
Rail passengers were also warned of cancellations and delays of up to 25 minutes.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “At around 6.10am this morning, a freight train derailed while travelling into the sidings at west Ealing.
“There were no injuries and we closed the adjacent lines to assess that it was safe for trains to pass.
“One of the lines has now reopened to passenger trains and a team is on site to assess the situation with the freight train and whether the second adjacent line can be safely reopened.
“Trains between London Paddington and Reading may be cancelled, delayed or revised while we deal with the incident.
“Passengers are advised to check their journey with National Rail Enquiries before travelling.”
Great Western Railway warned on its website that some lines were blocked, with disruption expected up to midday.
Meanwhile, an overtime ban by the Aslef union at 16 companies is continuing until Saturday, causing more disruption to services.
On Saturday train drivers will walk out at Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railway, LNER, Heathrow Express, Northern and TransPennine Express.
A strike on Monday will affect c2c, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia (including Stansted Express), Great Northern, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway (including the Island Line) and Thameslink.
The Easter holiday is one of the busiest times of the year for Heathrow.
Dubai, Turkey and the Canary Islands were among the most popular destinations as two million British holidaymakers travelled abroad last weekend.
In February, Heathrow announced it had returned to profit for the first time since the Covid pandemic devastated global air travel.
The consortium that owns Heathrow, FGP Topco, said it made £38 million in pre-tax profits last year, the first time the airport has been back in the black since 2019, following a loss of £684 million in 2022.
The fightback to profit was mostly down to the 79.2 million passengers, representing a 28.6 per cent increase on the year before, that passed through Heathrow last year.
The airport celebrated the end of last year with its busiest-ever December.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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