There's major disruption on railways in northern England after a power failure in Manchester affected a communications centre
Passengers trying to get home have been warned to expect delays and cancellations, with National Rail saying services could be affected until the end of Thursday
Chris, who's from Edinburgh but stuck in Manchester, tells the BBC: "I will have to get a hotel here and see if I can get home tomorrow"; Bradley Back, in Birmingham, tells our reporter it's "definitely not ideal"
Transport for Greater Manchester says the issue occurred at the Manchester Rail Operating Centre, with Network Rail adding it happened just before 14:00 BST
The centre houses all the controls to safely operate the railway, including signalling, reports our transport correspondent
National Rail had initially said the Midlands were also affected
Are you impacted? Check if you're eligible for compensation
It's not just the power outage causing disruption to trains in the Midlands.
National Rail says "a wartime bomb near the railway between Tamworth and Burton-on-Trent means all lines are blocked between these stations".
It added that trains would be cancelled, revised or delayed by up to an hour. Disruption had been expected to last until 19:30 BST.
Image source, EPA/ShutterstockCommuters at Liverpool Lime Street after a power outage in the north west of England
As of 19:10 BST, National Rail says that at least eight rail operators remain affected by the disruption that has seen widespread cancellations and delays across much of England.
Avanti West Coast says its trains between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly may be delayed, cancelled or diverted.
CrossCountry advised that servies can now run from Manchester, but says some services may still have "knock-on delays".
East Midlands Railway says to not travel between Sheffield and Liverpool Lime Street, adding that there remains disruption between Liverpool and Nottingham/Norwich.
London Northwestern Railway says rail replacement busses are in operation between Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe, and between Crewe and Birmingham New Street.
Lumo's 13:19 train from London Euston to Stirling is running 42 minutes late after being delayed at Preston.
Northern says do not travel, as its services are unable to run on all routes in the north west and Greater Manchester.
TransPennine Express also advises against travel on its services as there are cancellations on all routes.
Transport for Wales says services to Manchester Picadilly - and between Liverpool Lime Street - may be cancelled or delayed.
However, other major rail companies operating through and near the affected region, including LNER and West Midlands Railway, have reported good service.
Tickets for many of the above operators can be used on trains run by other rail companies - these details are listed on each operator's website.
Image source, Network RailManchester's Rail Operating Centre (ROC) opened in July 2014
As we've been reporting, Transport for Greater Manchester says the outage occurred at the Manchester Rail Operating Centre (ROC) after a power supply failure in the wider Ardwick area.
That signalling centre was opened in July 2014.
It was one of 12 ROC's, which Network Rail said at the time "will eventually manage the entire rail network across Britain, replacing more than 800 signal boxes and other operational locations currently used to control trains".
Railway lines have slowly been added to the ROC's workload, with Network Rail adding at the time of its opening that "over the next 20 years all of the railway in the north west of England will be controlled from the ROC".
Image source, EPAPassengers stand looking at departure boards at Liverpool Lime Street railway station as disruption continues
Image source, EPADeparture boards at the station showed a number of delays and lengthy cancellations earlier this afternoon
Image source, PA MediaWhile at nearby Hunts Cross railway station, tracks are empty with few trains making journeys
James Kelly
BBC Your Voice
Jo Hooper was half an hour into her rail journey to Manchester from Grimsby when passengers were given some bad news.
"We were told the service was cancelled and terminated at Sheffield," says Jo, who was heading to Manchester to head off on a weekend break with her daughter.
After waiting for more than an hour for a rail replacement bus in Sheffield, Jo says she's now "slowly heading Manchester" and should arrive only two-and-a-half hours later than planned.
"Happy days," she says. "I've been reading other passenger stories and feel I’ve got off lightly."
Image source, EPA/ShutterstockThe transport secretary has said disruption is expected for the rest of the day and has advised passengers to check their journeys before they travel.
Heidi Alexander says in a post on X she is "sorry to hear passengers in the North West are affected by a power outage, with trains cancelled or delayed".
She adds that she is receiving regular updates while Network Rail works to resolve the issue.
James Kelly
BBC Your Voice
Image source, StaceyStacey was among passengers who were evacuated from a train that stopped prematurely in Manchester when signals failed.
The 38-year-old office worker, who was travelling from Deansgate to Leyland, praises staff for their efforts.
"There was a controlled evacuation from the viaduct - the train stopped when the signals went," Stacey tells us.
"One of the train conductors was leading a bunch of trainees and she was so calm and professional. The staff were phenomenal, especially the trainer!"
However, she says she's now having to pay £60 for a taxi home: "I hope I get reimbursed".
Image source, Getty ImagesYou may be entitled to some money back if your train journey is delayed or cancelled as a result of today's disruption.
National Rail says different train companies have different schemes, but adds that "they all offer compensation".
The amount you receive may depend on the type of ticket you have, with compensation for a single day ticket calculated differently than a season ticket, for example.
It will also depend on the length of delay - longer delays tend to entitle you to more compensation. Each train company has its own compensation threshold.
"Claims can be made online, or by post using a form that you can download from a train company website or get from a staffed station," National Rail says.
You can also use the nationwide scheme Delay Repay.
Bernadette McCague
BBC Your Voice
Matt and his partner Sarah landed in Manchester from Gibraltar earlier today and hoped to get the train home.
"We decided to get the train back to our home in Clitheroe for once and what a bad day to do it!" says Matt.
He says after seeing their train had been cancelled the pair booked an Uber to take them home instead.
"We managed to get [one] thankfully, but it's costing a fortune," adds Matt.
Katy Austin
Transport correspondent
It’s still unclear how long disruption will last. We do know that it's expected for the rest of the day.
Lots of trains and crews have been put out of position. A source at one train company recommended passengers check before they travel tomorrow morning too.
Today, there's a ripple effect on some services outside the area of disruption highlighted by train companies in Greater Manchester and the North West.
For example, Avanti West Coast runs long-distance services including those between Manchester and London Euston.
Hannah Karpel
Reporting from Leeds Station
We're at peak rush hour here at Leeds Station but so far it’s no busier than a usual Thursday evening.
Albeit the arrivals board is full of cancellations, bus replacements and alternative routes seem to be keeping everyone moving nicely.
Station staff are out in their numbers too, gathered around the customer service desk speaking with the public and helping them navigate a different journey.
So far, it appears journeys into London from Leeds are running as usual but the difficulty comes if you’re travelling further North.
Bus replacements and alternative routes seem to be keeping passengers moving at Leeds despite some cancellations
James Kelly
BBC Your Voice
Chris is from Edinburgh but is stuck in Manchester after travelling down from Scotland yesterday on business.
The technology consultant says he has "no idea" how to get home and will likely book a hotel for the night despite the expense and inconvenience, describing it as "costly, inconvenient... frustrating".
"We're still being told there is no power to any of the trains, no electricity, and they don’t expect anything to run today until the end of the day," he says.
"I will have to get a hotel here and see if I can get home tomorrow."
Sean Dilley
Correspondent
We don’t yet have confirmation of the actual number of trains caught up in this disruption, but thousands of passengers are likely affected.
When there’s disruption like this you’ve got to think about the logistics behind the scenes, with managers from many companies co-ordinating their response.
This could impact other train operating companies around the country because train drivers, staff and railway workers have to travel using the rail network to get to their places of work.
It sounds a bit trite to say everything is connected, but indeed it is, and so there’s potential for knock-on effects.
Jared Evitts
BBC Newsbeat, in Birmingham New Street
Despite their smiles, Bradley Black and Thomas Reeves are having a less-than-ideal rail experience
I've been at Birmingham New Street this afternoon speaking to travellers impacted by the disruption.
Bradley Black is trying to travel back up to the north from Birmingham after visiting the city for training.
"I’d just finished, trying to get off at 15:00 and get back to get my daughter from nursery," he says. "I’ve got to New Street and all trains north are cancelled. It’s definitely not ideal."
And the 32-year-old faces another issue – paying late fees to collect his daughter. “I’m trying to ring the nursery and get a late pick-up, pay some extra cash to keep her there for a couple of hours."
Thomas Reeves is also facing delays and hoping to get onto the next train. He’s come off at New Street after starting his journey in Coventry.
“I just got on the train at Coventry, been on the train about ten minutes, they said the line has been terminated and now I’m stuck here,” says 18-year-old Thomas.
The pair met while they were working out how to get back to Manchester – and are hoping they don’t have to get an Uber all the way back up north.
Josh Parry
Reporting from Liverpool Lime Street
Liverpool Lime Street is a major travel hub in the North West, servicing routes across the country.
In the school holidays, it’s particularly busy with travellers using it to get to Manchester Airport and to London.
Crowds of passengers are gathered at the departures board, but it’s not filling anyone with any hope.
All of the trains are either delayed or disrupted; including services to Birmingham, Crewe, Manchester Airport and Nottingham.
One service to Warrington Central is managing to remain operational, with staff putting out a special announcement advising passengers that local Merseyrail trains to Wirral or elsewhere in Liverpool are still running as normal.
One passenger tells me they’re hoping to get back to Leeds in a taxi in order to make an important birthday celebration - at a cost of almost £150 - another is looking for someone to split the cost of a taxi to Birmingham with.
Some passengers are making the most of the sunshine on the steps of the station while they reassess their journeys.
Alex Akhurst
BBC Your Voice
A teacher from Bristol fears that she and her synchronised swimming team are likely to miss a performance in Edinburgh this evening due the disruption.
Becky, 56, who made it to Manchester with two of her fellow performers before being caught up in the disruption, says other passengers are "starting to get cross", adding that "it’s kicking off".
She adds that three trains had already been cancelled before they were able to start their journey in Bristol.
Becky says her group were told to "go to customer service" when exiting the train in Manchester but once there they were simply told there were "no onward plans".
"There’s another traveller here who’s got a show to go and see tonight in Edinburgh, and he’s looking to see if the four of us could get a car together," she adds.
National Rail now lists Lumo trains as among operators affected by the disruption.
A post on the company's X account says the 13:19 London Euston to Stirling service will be delayed from Preston due to the power outage.
Previous posts indicate the service had already been affected by unrelated issues.
James Kelly
BBC Your Voice
Image source, Sarah NelsonSarah Nelson says she cannot work the best method to get home after getting stranded on her way to Manchester
Sarah Nelson, who has been unable to get to work due to the disruption, says she now faces a five-hour round trip to just get back to her home in Blackpool.
The remedial massage therapist's train to Manchester has been at Horwich Parkway for more than 90 minutes, and she says it's "going to be a nightmare" trying to get back home.
As she's stuck at an "outlying station", Sarah says there are very few options for onward travel and is now attempting to find a passenger to share a taxi with back to Blackpool.
"They're saying they will refund us if we get taxis, but in my experience this can be a slow and painful process," she adds.
"I'm probably going to see if I can get a bus to a larger station, but I'm really indecisive as I can't work out what's best to do."
Sarah adds that rail infrastructure in the North needs "proper investment" so that it does not "fail at the drop of a hat", adding that "it's pointless to improve journey times from London when the regional options are so broken".
National Rail has detailed specific advice for customers wanting to travel on each line affected by this afternoon's outage.
Avanti West Coast is not serving Macclesfield. Tickets can be used on other lines including CrossCountry between Birmingham New Street and Stoke-on-Trent and Transport for Wales services between Manchester Piccadilly and Crewe.
East Midlands Railway has asked people not to travel between Sheffield and Liverpool Lime Street.
The service has organised some bus travel between Sheffield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly. Tickets can also be used on Avanti West Coast services between Liverpool and London Euston and Greater Anglia services between Norwich and London Liverpool Street.
London Northwestern Railway is organising rail replacement services between Hartford and Liverpool Lime Street.
Northern customers have been asked not to travel. It advises tickets can be used on "reasonable routes" via Transport for Greater Manchester bus services and Metrolink services.
TransPennine Express has asked customers not to travel - tickets can be used on Bee Network buses, LNER services between Doncaster, Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh and some other routes.
Transport for Wales has organised buses between Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Piccadilly while tickets can be used on some other train services including Merseyrail between Liverpool and Chester.
The full advice is available on National Rail., external
Srosh Khan
BBC Newsbeat
We’re seeing more cancellation and disruption notices cropping up across the country.
My initial train from Birmingham New Street to London Euston this afternoon was cancelled, but I was able to board the next one and the journey hasn’t been affected since.
However, I’ve arrived in to a sea of worried faces at London Euston as more red cancellation notices pop up.
Hundreds are gathered by the boards awaiting to see if they’ll be affected.
Announcers are apologising for cancellations and delays, with trains to Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool among some of those affected.
