Emergency services are responding to an incident on the railway between Patricroft in Salford and Newton-le-Willows, forcing all lines to close and causing mass disruption and train cancellations this morning, Thursday October 22.
National Rail confirmed that "all lines are closed" and that trains running between Newton-le-Willows/Wigan North Western and Manchester may be cancelled, delayed, revised or diverted. Disruption is expected until 12:00.
Affected Routes and Services
The line remains blocked between Newton-le-Willows/Wigan North Western and Manchester, affecting several key services. The Northern service between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria/Manchester Airport is impacted, as is the route between Chester and Leeds.
The TransPennine Express between Liverpool Lime Street and Hull/Newcastle and Transport for Wales between Holyhead and Manchester Airport are also facing disruption.
Advice for Passengers
A post on the Network Rail Manchester Piccadilly account said: "Due to the emergency services dealing with an incident, some trains between Manchester and Liverpool Lime Street may be delayed or cancelled. Customers are advised to plan ahead via their train operator website or @nationalrailenq."
National Rail added: "The emergency services are dealing with an incident near the railway between Newton-le-Willows and Patricroft. Whilst they attend the incident, all lines are closed."
Drivers also faced delays of an hour, with queues spanning eight miles, as the incident caused wider travel disruption in the area.
