Manchester rail power fault disrupts north England services

A major power failure at a key rail communications centre has caused widespread disruption to train services across northern England and the Midlands, with multiple operators advising passengers not to travel for the remainder of Thursday, August 6, 2026. The incident, which began shortly after 2 p.m., has led to widespread cancellations, delays of up to 60 minutes, and revised services, with the disruption expected to continue until the end of the day.

The fault at the Manchester Rail Operating Centre has affected essential signalling and communication systems, rendering trains unable to run safely across a large part of the network. National Rail reported that the failure of the electricity supply is disrupting services across Greater Manchester, the North West of England, and the Midlands. The affected train operators include Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, London Northwestern Railway, Northern, TransPennine Express, and Transport for Wales.

Several companies have issued their strongest warnings. Northern and TransPennine Express have both advised customers not to travel, stating that services are unable to run safely and that no replacement buses are...