CrossCountry cancels ‘almost all’ train services after power cut
CrossCountry train services have been cancelled “across almost all routes” on Sunday following a power cut.
The train operator said a power outage in Birmingham affected its control centre, resulting in many of the systems used to manage the railway being unavailable.
Most services will be cancelled until further notice – including popular routes linking Glasgow to Edinburgh, Manchester to Birmingham, Cheltenham to Cardiff and Newcastle to Edinburgh.
A near-normal service is expected between Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport “due to the impact of planned engineering work”, the company said.
A rail replacement bus service will remain in place as planned between Leicester and Peterborough.
Customers have complained about the disruption on social media, with some describing the cancellations as “very frustrating”.
CrossCountry has responded to many posts from ticket-holders on X, apologising and advising of alternative routes.
Tickets bought for travel on CrossCountry services on Sunday can still be used with other train operators on the same route.
The tickets will also remain valid on CrossCountry services until Wednesday.
Chiltern Railways said it had added services between Birmingham Moor Street and Oxford to help with the disruption, adding it will accept “all CrossCountry tickets via any reasonable route”.
London North Eastern Railway also confirmed it would accept CrossCountry tickets “to help get affected customers to their destination”.
Customers can apply for Delay Repay compensation if their train is delayed by 30 minutes or more, while those who choose not to travel can claim a refund.
People planning on travelling on Sunday are advised to check their journey with National Rail Enquiries.
One customer said on X: “Why have all @CrossCountryUK trains to Manchester been cancelled today? Very frustrating when you have booked in advance. The app says go on train before or after but all trains are cancelled.”
Another said: “A massive thank you to Cross Country Trains for cancelling my train this morning to Birmingham. You are truly not fit for service. You have also cancelled my train coming back but that is immaterial. Useless. Utterly useless @CrossCountryUK.”
A CrossCountry spokesperson said: “While we will run as many trains as possible, passengers should expect significant reductions to services and cancellations across almost all CrossCountry routes throughout the day.
“We are sorry to passengers affected by this significant and unforeseen disruption.”
They added: “We are working closely with relevant partners and will provide further updates as soon as possible.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub