Severe travel disruption is affecting Liverpool Lime Street station this afternoon after a car crashed into a railway bridge, causing widespread cancellations and significant delays for passengers.
Bridge Strike Causes Widespread Rail Disruption
The incident occurred on Thursday, 15 January 2026, when a vehicle collided with a bridge on the line between Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway. The impact has caused major operational problems for services heading to and from the busy city-centre terminal.
National Rail has confirmed that passengers are facing delays of up to 45 minutes, with many services being cancelled outright. Travellers are being strongly advised to check the status of their journey before setting out.
Rail Operators Issue Emergency Travel Advice
Multiple train companies have been forced to implement emergency measures and ticket easements to help stranded passengers complete their journeys.
East Midlands Railway has advised customers they may use their tickets on Merseyrail services between Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway at no extra cost. Tickets are also being accepted on TransPennine Express services between Liverpool Lime Street and Sheffield.
London Northwestern Railway is allowing ticket holders to use Merseyrail between Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street in both directions until further notice.
Northern has lifted all ticket restrictions, including Advance and Peak fares, in the affected areas until 2pm. If a customer's train is cancelled, they can travel on any Northern or TransPennine Express service within two hours of their original departure time.
TransPennine Express is permitting ticket acceptance on its own services between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria, as well as on Transport for Wales services from Warrington Bank Quay to Manchester Piccadilly.
Operators have warned that if the disruption continues, road replacement transport may be requested, which could extend journey times by up to 60 minutes.
Multiple Routes and Operators Affected
The bridge strike has caused a ripple effect, disrupting services across several key operators and routes. National Rail has published a list of affected services, which includes:
- Avanti West Coast between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.
- East Midlands Railway between Liverpool Lime Street and Nottingham/Norwich.
- London Northwestern Railway between Liverpool Lime Street and Birmingham New Street.
- Northern between Liverpool Lime Street and Warrington Central/Manchester Oxford Road.
- TransPennine Express between Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes.
- Transport for Wales between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester.
Rail staff are working to manage the situation and arrange alternative travel options, but passengers are warned that resolving the issue will take time. The key advice remains to check live travel updates before commencing any journey to or from Liverpool Lime Street this afternoon.
