Major Network Rail morning update after cancellation chaos across North West train stations
"Anyone planning to travel this morning should continue to check before they travel,” say Network Rail.
Rail passengers are being advised that most train services across the North West, including Blackpool, are running this morning following yesterday's power outage in Manchester, although some disruption remains.
The electricity supply outage which affected signalling systems in Manchester yesterday (Thursday, August 6) caused widespread disruption across the region, with delays and cancellations affecting services throughout the day.
Electricity North West said the power cut occurred at 1.41pm in the Harpurhey area of East Manchester, impacting more than 400 postcodes. One of those affected was the site of the Manchester Rail Operating Centre.
Hundreds of frustrated passengers packed Preston Station last tonight, just one of many similar scenes across the country following the major rail failure.
Network Rail said engineers worked through the night to restore signalling systems, with signalling fully restored late yesterday evening.
Trains displaced by the disruption were also returned to nearby depots, allowing train operators to restart services this morning.
Network Rail said it is sorry to passengers whose journeys were disrupted and thanked customers for their patience while engineers worked to restore services.
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Some disruption remains
Most operators are running a full service this morning. However, some TransPennine Express services continue to be affected as trains and crew return to their normal positions following yesterday's disruption.
Passengers planning to travel this morning are advised to check before they travel using National Rail Enquiries or their train operator's website for the latest travel information.
Chris Wright, Network Rail's North West route director, said: "I'd like to thank passengers for their patience following yesterday's power outage and the disruption it caused across the North West.
"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.
“While some passengers may still experience disruption, we're continuing to work closely with train operators to return services to normal as quickly as possible.
"Anyone planning to travel this morning should continue to check before they travel for the latest information."