CrossCountry cancels majority of UK services following control centre power failure

CrossCountry has suspended almost all of its rail services across the United Kingdom after a power outage at its control centre in Birmingham. The disruption, which began on Saturday, has rendered many of the systems used to manage the railway unavailable. The operator has confirmed that cancellations are affecting most routes, including those from Glasgow to Penzance and Leeds to Manchester, until further notice. The company cited significant and unforeseen disruption as the reason for the widespread service withdrawal. CrossCountry, which was ranked as Britain’s worst rail operator in June, stated that the only route expecting near-normal service is between Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander expressed concern regarding the power outage and has asked publicly owned operators to provide extra services where possible. She noted that Network Rail power teams are currently on site and working to restore power and systems as soon as possible. In response to the disruption, tickets for Sunday travel have been made valid until Wednesday. The operator has apologised to affected passengers and confirmed that tickets are being accepted by other rail companies to assist customers in reaching their destinations. Customers are entitled to Delay Repay compensation if their train is delayed by 30 minutes or more, while those who choose not to travel can claim a refund for their journey.

Passengers have voiced anger on social media, describing the situation as the worst case scenario for the weekend. Some travellers have resorted to taking coaches before continuing their journey with another operator. Major routes between Manchester and Birmingham, which pass through Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Wolverhampton, are affected, along with routes from Leeds to York, Cheltenham to Cardiff and Glasgow to Edinburgh. Services to Plymouth and Penzance are also disrupted, with customers relying on Great Western Railway operators as a replacement. At New Street station, barriers to all platforms are open, and regular announcements are being made to passengers about the disruption. Digital schedule boards are carrying a special notice detailing the cancellation of CrossCountry services.

Football fans travelling to fixtures have been warned that services to and from Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle might be extremely busy. Reese Proctor, a 22-year-old fan, described the cancellations as frustrating and unacceptable as he tried to reach Manchester’s Etihad Stadium for a match against Bournemouth. He had planned to take a train from Reading but instead drove more than 100 miles to a friend’s house in Leicester before continuing to the stadium. The additional drive added two hours to his journey, leaving him fuming. He noted that without the ability to drive or have a friend drive him, he would not have been able to attend the match, resulting in a wasted ticket. Another passenger on X criticised the operator, stating that the company was not fit for service and that the cancellations were utterly useless.

Chiltern Railways has added services between Birmingham Moor Street and Oxford to help with the disruption and will accept all CrossCountry tickets via any reasonable route. London North Eastern Railway has also confirmed it will accept CrossCountry tickets to help get affected customers to their destination. National Rail has advised that affected customers can use London Underground services at no extra cost, as well as West Midlands Metro services between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street. The organisation also told football fans that they may need to stand for part or all of their journey and advised them to speak with a member of staff if they require any assistance. A CrossCountry spokesperson said the company is working closely with relevant partners and will provide further updates as soon as possible.