Glasgow and Edinburgh impacted by cancellations 'across almost all routes' after power outage
Rail replacement bus services have been put in place on some routes.
CrossCountry train services were cancelled “across almost all routes” on Sunday following a power cut, affecting passengers travelling across the UK.
Most services, including Edinburgh to Glasgow routes, were cancelled until further notice after a power outage in Birmingham affected a control centre, which monitors the locations of trains and oversees staff changeovers.
The problem was UK-wide, with routes linking Edinburgh to Newcastle, Manchester to Birmingham and Cheltenham to Cardiff affected.
Rail replacement bus services were put in place on some routes.
CrossCountry, which was ranked the UK’s worst rail operator earlier this year, confirmed that all its services were withdrawn on Sunday with the exception of trains between Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport.
Customers complained about the disruption on social media, with some describing the cancellations as “very frustrating”.
CrossCountry 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.
A CrossCountry spokesperson said: “A power cut in Birmingham city centre has affected the building where our control centre is located. As a result, many of the systems our control teams use to manage the railway are currently unavailable. Although colleagues are working hard to safely operate services using alternative processes, CrossCountry services will be significantly disrupted on Sunday 23 August.
"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.
"Ticket acceptance is in place with other train operators, and customers will be entitled to Delay Repay compensation. Customers who choose not to travel can claim a refund from their original point of purchase.
"We are working closely with relevant partners and will provide further updates as soon as possible."
The train operator was not able to give a specific time for normal operations to resume.
It added that its service update page would be updated throughout Sunday as more information becomes available. The latest disruption information is also available through National Rail Enquiries.
The UK government’s Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she asked publicly owned train operators to provide additional services.
"I am concerned to hear about a power outage affecting CrossCountry rail services today, which I know will be very frustrating to passengers,” Ms Alexander said.
“The service between Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted is still running. I've asked publicly owned operators to lay on 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.”
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