Trains Halted Across North-West England
Rail services across north-west England were thrown into chaos on Thursday after a power failure at a signalling centre in Manchester, with disruption spreading to the Midlands and services to London. Passengers faced cancellations and long delays through the afternoon as engineers worked to restore power. Operators warned of continued disruption into the evening.
Signalling failures can paralyse whole swathes of the network, since trains cannot run safely without the systems that control their movements. The breakdown stranded commuters and travellers at the height of the summer getaway, and rippled far beyond the north-west as knock-on delays built. It is the latest reminder of the fragility of ageing rail infrastructure that has suffered from years of underinvestment. Network Rail apologised and urged passengers to check before travelling. Watch how quickly services are restored and whether the cause points to deeper problems.