Train services across the UK have been cancelled after a power cut at CrossCountry’s control centre in Birmingham disrupted systems used to manage its railway network.According to CrossCountry, the outage has affected several systems at its control centre, with the operator cancelling or reducing services across most of its routes on Sunday, August 23.Major routes affected include Manchester-Birmingham, which runs through Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Wolverhampton, along with services between Leeds and York, Cheltenham and Cardiff, and Glasgow and Edinburgh.CrossCountry said services to Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport were expected to operate close to normal, but passengers on most other routes should expect cancellations and significant reductions.The operator said the disruption began after a power cut affected the building housing its Birmingham control centre.“As a result, many of the systems our control teams use to manage the railway are currently unavailable,” CrossCountry said.Staff are using alternative procedures to keep some trains running, but the operator warned that disruption would continue “until further notice”.Passengers heading to football fixtures have also been warned that trains serving Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle could be extremely busy.CrossCountry said tickets booked for August 23 can be used on other train operators on the same routes. The tickets will also remain valid for CrossCountry travel until August 26.Passengers who decide not to travel can claim a refund, while those whose journeys are delayed by 30 minutes or more may be eligible for Delay Repay compensation.The operator apologised for what it described as “significant and unforeseen disruption” and advised passengers to check their journeys before travelling.
