Rail services in and out of London Paddington were halted on Sunday following a fire at a storage yard in west London.

Great Western railway services between the London station and Reading were cancelled just as more than 40,000 runners reached the finish line of the London Marathon, meaning transport services in and out of the city were expected to be especially busy.

The Heathrow Express, which runs from London Paddington, was also briefly halted but services resumed late on Sunday afternoon. Transport for London services in the area were also affected for a short time.

Great Western services resumed shortly after 6pm on Sunday, although major disruption was expected to continue well into the evening, according to National Rail Enquiries.

About 70 firefighters in 10 fire engines were called to the old coal depot in West Drayton, now a container storage yard, at around 2pm after an industrial conveyor belt, 15 vans and three articulated lorries caught alight, according to London fire brigade.

Fire crews from Hillingdon, Heathrow, Feltham and other nearby stations continued to tackle the blaze into the evening.

“The fire is very visible and is producing a lot of smoke,” station manager Jon Holt said. “Residents and businesses in the area should keep their windows and doors shut and drivers should avoid the area if possible.”

Passengers affected by the disruption were advised to consider alternative services in and out of London, with Great Western tickets being accepted on several other major networks, including Chiltern Railways and Virgin Rail services between Birmingham New Street and London Euston.