CrossCountry Cancels UK Services Amid Power Outage
CrossCountry has cancelled almost all its UK services due to a power outage at its control centre in Birmingham.
CrossCountry, the UK's worst rail operator, has cancelled almost all its services across the country after a power cut at its control centre in Birmingham.
The power outage started on Saturday and has left many of the systems used to manage the railway unavailable, according to the operator. Cancellations are affecting most routes, including Glasgow to Penzance and Leeds to Manchester, until further notice.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander expressed concern over the power outage and asked publicly owned operators to provide extra services where possible. Network Rail power teams are on site and working to restore power and systems as soon as possible.
Passengers are taking to social media to express their frustration, with some describing the situation as the "worst case scenario" at the weekend. Major routes between Manchester and Birmingham, as well as routes from Leeds to York, Cheltenham to Cardiff, and Glasgow to Edinburgh, are all affected.
CrossCountry has confirmed that tickets for Sunday will remain valid until Wednesday. The operator has also stated that it hopes to resolve the situation by Monday, but has not provided any further updates.
Fans travelling to football fixtures have been warned that services to and from Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle might be extremely busy. One passenger, Reese Proctor, described the cancellations as "frustrating and unacceptable" and had to drive over 100 miles to get to Manchester's Etihad Stadium in time for a match.
Services to Plymouth and Penzance are also disrupted, with customers relying on Great Western Railway operators as a replacement. CrossCountry has apologised to passengers affected and stated that tickets are being accepted by other operators.
The company has also confirmed that 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. National Rail has advised affected customers to use London Underground services at no extra cost and also West Midlands Metro services between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street.
Train tickets purchased for travel on CrossCountry services on Sunday will be valid for travel until Wednesday, according to the organisation. Football fans have been warned that they may need to stand for part or all of their journey and have been advised to speak with a member of staff if they require any assistance.
The situation is ongoing, with CrossCountry working closely with relevant partners to provide further updates as soon as possible.
