Major train operator cancels all services after power outage sparks travel chaos

A power failure at CrossCountry’s control centre in Birmingham, which began on Saturday, has triggered mass cancellations across the operator’s network stretching from Glasgow to Penzance. The outage has knocked out many of the systems required to run the railway, according to the train company, resulting in what it described as “significant and unforeseen disruption.” Services remain suspended across nearly all of CrossCountry’s routes until further notice, with the operator — which normally serves more than 100 stations — left unable to run the vast majority of its timetable. Some passengers have resorted to taking coaches and switching to alternative operators to complete their journeys.

Routes between Manchester and Birmingham — running through Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Wolverhampton — are among those hit by the disruption. Connections from Leeds to York, Cheltenham to Cardiff, and Glasgow to Edinburgh have also been affected.

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Travellers heading to Plymouth and Penzance have been directed towards Great Western Railway services as an alternative.

The sole exception to the chaos is the Peterborough to Cambridge and Stansted Airport line, which CrossCountry said was expected to operate a “near-normal” timetable. Every other part of the network remains subject to cancellations as engineers work to restore the control centre’s systems.

Frustrated customers have taken to social media to vent their anger, with one user on X writing: “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.” Others described the situation as “stressful” and a “worst case scenario.”

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CrossCountry has apologised and confirmed that rival operators are honouring its tickets. A spokesperson said the company was “working closely with relevant partners” and would issue updates as soon as possible.

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Passengers whose trains are delayed by 30 minutes or more can claim Delay Repay compensation, while those opting not to travel are entitled to a full refund.

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