CrossCountry cancels ‘almost all’ train services after power cut
CrossCountry has cancelled nearly all train services after a power cut affected its control centre in Birmingham, with a limited service expected from 6pm Sunday and a full return on Monday.
CrossCountry has cancelled “almost all” of its train services until further notice after a power cut knocked out its control centre. The train operating company said the disruption, which began on Saturday, affected its ability to manage services across its network, forcing it to suspend most operations on Sunday.
The power outage, which originated in Birmingham, hit the company’s control centre and left it unable to coordinate trains safely. As a result, popular routes linking Glasgow and Edinburgh to various cities across England were among those cancelled, causing significant disruption for passengers travelling on one of the busiest weekends of the year.
In a statement, CrossCountry said it expected to run a very limited number of trains from around 6pm on Sunday, with a return to normal service planned for Monday. The company apologised to customers and advised them to check their journeys before travelling, as the situation remained fluid throughout the day.
The cancellations come at a particularly inconvenient time for travellers, with many people using the rail network for leisure trips and family visits. Passengers affected by the disruption were urged to seek refunds or rebook their journeys, with CrossCountry confirming that tickets would be valid on alternative services where possible.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of the UK’s rail network to infrastructure failures, particularly when a single point of failure such as a control centre can bring operations to a halt. Control centres are critical to managing train movements, signalling, and communication with drivers, and their loss can paralyse services across a wide geographic area.
CrossCountry operates a long-distance network that connects major cities including Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, and Plymouth, as well as numerous smaller towns. The company’s services are used by thousands of passengers daily, and the disruption on Sunday will have affected travellers across England and Scotland.
The operator said it was working to restore services as quickly as possible and thanked customers for their patience. It also advised passengers to monitor its website and social media channels for updates, as the timetable was expected to change at short notice.
This is not the first time CrossCountry has faced significant disruption, but the scale of Sunday’s cancellations — described by the company as “almost all” services — underscores the severity of the power failure. The cause of the outage has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear whether it was related to the national grid or an issue within the company’s own infrastructure.
For now, passengers are being advised to plan alternative travel arrangements or wait for the limited services expected to resume later on Sunday. The company has promised a full service from Monday, but travellers are urged to remain cautious and check the latest information before setting out.
