Leeds train chaos as major power failure causes severe delays and cancellations
Rail passengers traveling into and out of Leeds face severe cancellations and delays into the evening following a major power outage that brought services across the region to a standstill
Rail passengers travelling to and from Leeds are facing widespread transport disruption into Thursday evening following a major power failure at a key signalling control centre.
The incident, which occurred shortly before 2pm, affected Network Rail’s Manchester Rail Operating Centre (ROC), bringing cross-country and trans-Pennine services to a halt.
TransPennine Express - which runs major routes connecting Leeds to Manchester, Liverpool, and the North West - has issued an explicit "Do Not Travel" warning for all services for the remainder of the day.
Northern services operating between Leeds and the North West are also severely impacted, with widespread cancellations and delays of up to 60 minutes expected through the evening peak and into the end of service.
Chris Wright, Network Rail North West Route Director, spoke about the interruptions to services: “impacted by a power issue in Manchester which is causing significant delays to trains through the city.
“While some services are now running, major disruption is expected for the rest of the day. I'd urge anyone planning to travel to check National Rail Enquiries for the latest information."
What services have been affected by the power failure?
The power failure at the Manchester Rail Operating Centre (ROC) disrupted signalling, causing widespread cancellations across the North West, Yorkshire, and the Midlands.
- TransPennine Express (TPE): Full "Do Not Travel" Warning. All services connecting Leeds to Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Liverpool Lime Street, York, Scarborough, and Newcastle are hit by widespread suspensions and delays.
- Northern: Severe delays and cancellations on cross-Pennine routes between Leeds, Huddersfield, Halifax, Manchester, and Preston.
- Avanti West Coast: Delays of up to 60+ minutes and service cancellations across the West Coast Main Line.
- East Midlands Railway (EMR): Services between Liverpool Lime Street and Sheffield suspended.
- CrossCountry: Knock-on delays across long-distance services connecting the North West, Midlands, and North East.
- Transport for Wales (TfW): Cancellations and replacement buses running on North West border routes.
- London Northwestern Railway & Lumo: Experiencing knock-on delays and route revisions.
Current cancelled services
Arrivals
- 5:44pm from Redcar
- 5:47pm from Liverpool Lime Street
- 6:09pm from Scarborough
- 6:11pm from Manchester Airport
- 6:22 from Liverpool Lime Street
- 6:32 from Manchester Piccadilly
- 6:39pm from Manchester Victoria
- 7:22pm from Liverpool Lime Street
- 7:38pm from Manchester Victoria
- 7:43pm from Redcar Central
- 7:49pm from Liverpool Lime Street
- 8:10pm from Manchester Airport
- 8:12pm from Scarborough
- 8:15pm from Manchester Victoria
- 8:22pm from Liverpool Lime Street
Departures
- 5:45pm to Manchester Airport
- 6:01 to Liverpool Lime Street
- 8:08 to Manchester Piccadilly
- 6:12pm to Manchester Victoria
- 6:14pm to Saltburn
- 6:15pm to Manchester Victoria
- 6:30pm to Liverpool Lime Street
- 6:42pm to Scarborough
- 7:30pm to Liverpool Lime Street
- 7:45pm to Manchester Airport
- 7:45pm to Scarborough
- 8:00pm to Liverpool Lime Street
- 8:13pm to Redcar Central
- 8:15pm to Manchester Victoria
- 8:30pm to Liverpool Lime Street
Thursday tickets will be valid for travel tomorrow (August 7), or passengers can claim a full refund at point of purchase.