Mourners who have gone to watch the Queen's funeral have been encouraged to go to pubs and cafes once the ceremony is over - to ease pressure on the rail network. People are being urged not to try and go home straight away once today's events are over in so train services are not overwhelmed.
A post on National Rail's Twitter account read: “Cafes, pubs and other hospitality providers around London are expected to be open this afternoon, so please don’t rush home immediately following the state funeral and final procession so you can continue marking this historic day and help ease pressure on the rail network.”
It comes as thousands of mourners will miss the Queen’s funeral due to rail disruption. All lines between Paddington in west London and Reading in Berkshire have been blocked since around 6.30am because of damage to overhead electric wires, Network Rail said.
Services run by GWR, Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line are expected to be disrupted for the rest of the day. All public viewing areas for the Queen’s funeral procession are full, London’s City Hall said.
Passengers on a GWR train due to run to Paddington were told by a member of staff using the public address system: “My sincerest apologies for the delays on such an important day for the country.”
Mourners travelling to the funeral events in Windsor from Paddington are also affected. Affected passengers intending to travel to London are advised to use South Western Railway services from Reading to Waterloo.
Crowds of mourners have flocked to London, Windsor and royal sites throughout the UK on the national bank holiday, with the service set to draw millions of TV viewers across the globe. All public viewing areas for the funeral procession in the capital were full by just after 9am.
The royal family, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will be among the 2,000 people gathered at Westminster Abbey to remember the late monarch on Monday morning, before a committal service at Windsor Castle. The day marks the climax of what is being regarded as the biggest security operation the UK has ever seen, surpassing the operation for the Platinum Jubilee weekend and the London 2012 Olympics, which saw up to 10,000 police officers on duty per day.
The royal family will walk in procession behind the Queen’s coffin as it is carried through the Gothic church by the military bearer party. The service follows the Queen’s lying in state period at Westminster Hall, which ended at 6.30am.
You can leave your tribute to The Queen here
