District Line hit by severe delays after fire alert at South Kensington
27 August 2026 · By Boroughly editorial — AI-assisted, human-reviewed.
Commuters on the District Line are facing significant disruption this morning after a fire alert at South Kensington station caused severe delays across the line. The alert was first reported shortly before 10am on Thursday, 27 August.
TfL has confirmed that London Buses, the Mildmay line, the Elizabeth line, DLR, c2c and Southwestern Railway are all accepting tickets via any reasonable route, giving passengers several alternatives for getting across west and central London. Full status updates are available on the TfL website.
For Chiswick residents, the most practical alternatives on this corridor are the Elizabeth line from Ealing Broadway or the Overground services at Gunnersbury or Kew Gardens. Bus routes 391 and E3 also serve sections of the District Line corridor if journeys are short.
This disruption comes at an already complicated moment for west London travel: the Piccadilly Line part closure between Cockfosters and Uxbridge, which began on Tuesday, 25 August, runs until the end of today. Passengers are advised to check TfL's status page before travelling and to allow extra time.