Granada Reports correspondent Rob Smith speaks to Network Rail at Piccadilly Station in Manchester
Train passengers are suffering a second day of disruption on Friday after a power outage ground trains to a halt across the Midlands and north-west England.
Electricity cut out in the main control hub for north-west England’s railways, the Manchester Rail Operating Centre near Ashburys station in the city’s east.
The failure, shortly before 2pm on Thursday, has caused widespread cancellations and delays to services.
Network Rail said on Friday morning that “most train services across the North West are running”.
It added that its fully restored signalling systems late on Thursday, and trains displaced by the disruption were returned to depots ahead of the start of service on Friday.
However, delays and cancellations are expected until midday on Friday, with passengers advised to check National Rail Enquiries and operators’ websites for updates.
Operators whose services remain affected on Friday morning are Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE) and Transport for Wales.
Northern said its “do not travel” alert first issued on Thursday afternoon would remain in place until 10am on Friday, as “some services will be amended and may not be able to run at all”.
TPE urged passengers to “please check carefully before any travel on Friday morning”.
Various ticket restrictions have been eased to help passengers get to where they need to go.
Train tickets are being accepted on Bee Network buses and Metrolink trams in Greater Manchester.
Chris Wright, Network Rail’s North West route director, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience following yesterday’s power outage and the disruption it caused across the North West.
“Our engineers worked through the night to restore signalling systems and recover the railway, and I’m pleased that most services are now running this morning.
“While some passengers may still experience disruption, we’re continuing to work closely with train operators to return services to normal as quickly as possible.
“Anyone planning to travel this morning should continue to check before they travel for the latest information.”
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The chief operating officer of Northern apologised to all its affected customers on Thursday.
Warrick Dent said: “We know how frustrating it is to have your journey delayed, cancelled, or disrupted, and I’m sorry for the impact this has had on people’s day.
“Our teams have been working hard alongside Network Rail and other train operators to keep customers moving and informed throughout.
“The scale of today’s disruption means customers travelling through Manchester tomorrow morning should also check before they travel, as some knock-on delays may continue.”
Electricity distribution company SP Electricity North West’s website states that a power cut in Harpurhey, which is north-east of the city centre, affected more than 400 postcodes, including that of the Manchester Rail Operating Centre.
It said: “The power cut in your area caused by an unexpected incident on our high voltage cable has now been resolved.”
Departure board showing delays and cancellations at Liverpool South Parkway station, as an electricity supply failure causes disruption. Credit: PA
The Manchester facility that experienced the outage was one of 12 operating centres built to eventually manage the entire British rail network, Network Rail said when it opened in 2014.
These facilities replaced 800 signal boxes and other operational locations then used to control trains.
It was planned that the Manchester Rail Operating Centre would control all of the railway in north-west England by 2034.
A wartime bomb being discovered near the railway between Tamworth and Burton-on-Trent also added to the disruption, with all lines blocked, National Rail said.
Greater Manchester, the Midlands and north-west England bore the brunt of the impact.
An electrical fault at Manchester Piccadilly also halted trains in April.
An extended 12-hour closure of the railway was needed for repairs because of the “complex area where this took place, with over 400 metres of damaged lines”, Network Rail said at the time.
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