Train passengers are facing a second day of disruption on Friday after a power outage halted services across the Midlands and north-west England. The electricity failure occurred at the Manchester Rail Operating Centre near Ashburys station, the main control hub for the region's railways.
Power failure causes widespread cancellations
The power cut, which happened at 1.41pm on Thursday, led to widespread cancellations and delays. Network Rail confirmed on Friday morning that most train services across the North West are now running, after engineers worked through the night to restore signalling systems and recover trains displaced by the disruption.
However, delays and cancellations are expected until midday on Friday. Passengers are advised to check National Rail Enquiries and operators' websites for updates.
Operators affected and travel advice
Operators whose services remain affected on Friday morning include Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE), and Transport for Wales. Northern has extended its "do not travel" alert until 10am on Friday, warning that some services may be amended or unable to run. TPE has urged passengers to check carefully before travelling.
To ease disruption, ticket restrictions have been relaxed, and train tickets are being accepted on Bee Network buses and Metrolink trams in Greater Manchester.
Network Rail response
Chris Wright, Network Rail's North West route director, thanked passengers for their patience and confirmed that most services are now running. He said: "Our engineers worked through the night to restore signalling systems and recover the railway, and I'm pleased that most services are now running this morning." He added that while some disruption may persist, they are working with operators to return services to normal as quickly as possible.
The power cut, which originated from an unexpected incident on a high voltage cable in Harpurhey, affected more than 400 postcodes, including the rail operating centre. The electricity distribution company SP Electricity North West confirmed the issue has been resolved.
