North-west England rail disruption enters second day after power failure
Passengers advised not to travel before 10am as trains and crews remain out of position
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Rail passengers in north-west England face continued disruption today after a power failure at a Manchester signalling centre caused widespread cancellations and delays on Thursday. National Rail said services are now running but warned that delays are likely to persist until noon.
The failure occurred shortly before 14:00 on 6 August at one of Network Rail’s 12 operating centres, which was designed to manage the region’s rail network. Operators including Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, Northern, TransPennine Express and Transport for Wales were affected.
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Passengers advised to delay travel
Northern Rail has urged passengers not to travel before 10:00 today. TransPennine Express told passengers to expect disruption until midday, with delays and cancellations likely. National Rail said some services may be revised or cancelled until the network fully recovers.
Greater Manchester, the Midlands and north-west England were the worst affected areas. Thousands of passengers were stranded on Thursday as services were suspended. Network Rail engineers worked overnight to restore signalling systems, but trains and crews remain out of position for normal service patterns.
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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.
Chris Wright, Network Rail’s north-west route director
Additional disruption from wartime bomb
Disruption was compounded on Thursday by the discovery of a wartime bomb near the railway between Tamworth and Burton-on-Trent. National Rail confirmed the incident but did not specify how long services were affected.
Andy Bowes-Roden, deputy editor at *Modern Railways* magazine, told BBC Radio 5 Live that disruption would ease throughout Friday. He said services should return to normal by the evening rush hour, but full recovery may not occur until Saturday morning.
Bowes-Roden added that passengers are entitled to refunds for disrupted journeys. Rail operators are legally obliged to compensate travellers for delays and cancellations under passenger rights regulations.
What happens next
National Rail has advised passengers to check for updates before travelling. Operators are expected to continue adjusting timetables throughout the morning as services gradually return to normal. Network Rail has not provided a timeline for a full investigation into the power failure.
Questions this report answers
+What caused the rail disruption in north-west England?
A power failure at a Manchester signalling centre on 6 August caused the disruption. The centre controls rail services across the region, leading to widespread cancellations and delays. Engineers worked overnight to restore systems.
+How long will the rail delays last?
National Rail expects delays to continue until noon on 7 August. Northern Rail has advised passengers not to travel before 10am, while TransPennine Express warned of disruption until midday. Full recovery may take until Saturday morning.
+Are passengers entitled to refunds for cancelled trains?
Yes. Rail operators are legally required to compensate passengers for delays and cancellations under passenger rights regulations. Andy Bowes-Roden of *Modern Railways* confirmed that refunds will be available for affected journeys.
+What other incident worsened the rail disruption?
A wartime bomb was discovered near the railway between Tamworth and Burton-on-Trent on 6 August. National Rail confirmed the incident but did not specify how long services were affected. It compounded delays caused by the power failure.
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