Wimbledon Fans Hit by District Line Delays, Fire at Southfields and South Harrow Shuts Piccadilly Line; Sadiq Khan Criticized

London's public transport network has experienced major disruptions over the past week, affecting several key lines. The District Line faced partial suspension and severe delays, particularly between Parsons Green and Wimbledon due to a fire alert at Southfields, and between Richmond and Turnham Green. These issues caused significant delays for Wimbledon tennis fans and drew criticism from local officials, including a Wimbledon MP who called the situation an "international embarrassment." London Mayor Sadiq Khan was urged to address the ongoing travel problems, which have been described as damaging to the city's international reputation. Additionally, the Elizabeth Line experienced severe delays between Paddington and Heathrow/Reading, while South Western Railway reported delays of up to an hour to and from Waterloo following a faulty train earlier in the day. On July 4, a large fire at railway arches in South Harrow led to the shutdown of the Piccadilly Line, with around 100 firefighters responding to the blaze. The fire caused gas blasts and resulted in severe delays and halted train services on the Piccadilly Line, further compounding commuter chaos in London.