• Published

Trains across the UK have been cancelled by rail operator CrossCountry after a power cut at its control centre.

The power outage started in Birmingham on Saturday and as a result, many of the systems used to manage the railway are unavailable, the operator said.

Cancellations are affecting most routes, from Glasgow to Penzance and Leeds to Manchester, until further notice because of "significant and unforeseen disruption", said CrossCountry, ranked Britain's worst rail operator, in June.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was "concerned to hear about a power outage" and had asked publicly owned operators to provide "extra services where possible".

"We've also sent Network Rail power teams who are onsite and working to restore power and systems as soon as possible," she added.

Passengers are venting their anger on social media, saying the situation is the "worst case scenario" at the weekend, with some taking coaches before continuing their train journey with another operator.

Major routes between Manchester and Birmingham, which passes through Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Wolverhampton, along with routes from Leeds to York, Cheltenham to Cardiff and Glasgow to Edinburgh, are all affected.

'Frustrating and unacceptable'

Fans travelling to football fixtures have been warned that services to and from Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle might be "extremely busy".

Reese Proctor described the cancellations as "frustrating and unacceptable" as he tried to get to Manchester's Etihad Stadium in time for a 14:00 BST kick-off against Bournemouth.

He had hoped to get a train from Reading to Manchester, but instead resorted to driving more than 100 miles to his friend's house in Leicester before driving on to the stadium.

The 22-year-old told BBC Newsbeat the drive had added an extra two hours to his journey, leaving him "fuming".

"If I couldn't drive, or have [my friend] to drive... I wouldn't have been able to go to the match. That would have been a waste of a match ticket," he said.

Another passenger, posting on X, 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."

Services to Plymouth and Penzance are also disrupted with customers relying on Great Western Railway operators as a replacement.

"We are working closely with relevant partners and will provide further updates as soon as possible," a CrossCountry spokesperson said.

At New Street station, the barriers to all platforms are open and there are regular announcements to passengers about the disruption.

The digital boards in the concourse are carrying a Special Notice to warn passengers of the cancellation to CrossCountry services.

While the operator usually calls at more than 100 stations, it said that the only route expecting a "near-normal" service was between Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport.

The company apologised to passengers affected and said tickets were being accepted by other operators.

Customers are entitled to Delay Repay compensation if their train is delayed by 30 minutes or more, while those who choose not to travel can claim a refund for their journey.

National Rail said affected customers could use London Underground services at no extra cost and also West Midlands Metro services between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street.

Train tickets purchased for travel on CrossCountry services on Sunday will be valid for travel until Wednesday, it added.

The organisation told football fans: "You may need to stand for part or all of your journey.

"If you require any assistance, please speak with a member of staff."

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• • Published18 June
• • Published29 April
• • Published11 February