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CrossCountry train cancellations live updates as 'power failure' to reduce services on Sunday
CrossCountry has cancelled almost all of its train services across the UK after a power cut at its control centre in Birmingham, leaving many systems unavailable. The disruption affected routes from Glasgow to Penzance and Leeds to Manchester, with only the Peterborough–Cambridge–Stansted Airport line running near normally. The operator said it planned to restore a full service on Monday.
CrossCountry has cancelled almost all of its train services across the UK following a power cut that hit its control centre in Birmingham. The operator said the outage began on Saturday and left many of the systems used to manage the railway unavailable, forcing the withdrawal of services across almost all routes until further notice on Sunday.
The disruption affected major routes from Glasgow to Penzance and Leeds to Manchester, with services linking Manchester and Birmingham via Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Wolverhampton among those impacted. Routes from Leeds to York, Cheltenham to Cardiff and Glasgow to Edinburgh were also cancelled, as was the Newcastle to Edinburgh line.
The only exception was the service between Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport, which was expected to run near normally. A CrossCountry spokesperson said a power cut in Birmingham city centre had affected the building where the control centre is located and that "many of the systems our control teams use to manage the railway are currently unavailable". They added: "Although colleagues are working hard to safely operate services using alternative processes, CrossCountry services will be significantly disrupted on Sunday 23 August."
The operator apologised for the "significant and unforeseen disruption" and told passengers to expect reductions and cancellations across almost all routes throughout the day.
Government response and passenger frustration
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was concerned about the power outage and knew it would be "very frustrating to passengers". She said she had asked publicly owned operators to lay on extra services where possible, and that Network Rail power teams were onsite working to restore power and systems.
Passengers vented their frustration on social media, with some describing the cancellations as the "worst case scenario" for a weekend. One passenger wrote on X that their train to Birmingham had been cancelled, saying the operator was "not fit for service" and calling the situation "useless". Football fans were warned that services to and from Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle might be "extremely busy" as a result.
Jeff Prestridge, a season ticket holder from Wokingham, Berkshire, was also critical of the operator in comments reported by the Evening Standard.
Recovery plans and ticket information
CrossCountry said it planned to run a very limited number of trains from around 6pm on Sunday, primarily on routes towards Leicester and Derby, before returning to a full service on Monday. A spokesperson said restoring "as close to a normal service as possible" was a "key priority" and that the operator was working with National Grid and industry partners on recovery efforts.
Tickets purchased for Sunday travel could be used with other train operators on the same route, and remained valid on CrossCountry services until Wednesday. National Rail said tickets were accepted by a range of operators including Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, LNER and Transport for Wales. Chiltern Railways said it had added services between Birmingham Moor Street and Oxford, accepting CrossCountry tickets, while LNER confirmed it would accept CrossCountry tickets to help affected customers.
Passengers delayed by 30 minutes or more were told they could apply for Delay Repay compensation, and those who chose not to travel could claim a refund from their original point of purchase.
The disruption came after CrossCountry was ranked Britain's worst rail operator in June, a point noted in several reports covering the cancellations.
How this outlet told it
My London
Framing: Headline emphasizes passenger entitlement to compensation, a consumer angle. It leaves out the extent of disruption and recovery details. — Measured. The tone is informative and practical, highlighting what to do (check before traveling). Quote: "urging customers to check before travelling."
Facts Included:
Power cut in Birmingham city centre affected CrossCountry control centre
Power cut started yesterday (Saturday)
Many systems used to manage railway unavailable
Services withdrawn across almost all CrossCountry routes on Sunday, August 23
Exception: Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport near-normal service
CrossCountry spokesperson quote about significant disruption and apology
Passengers 'entitled to compensation' (in headline)
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Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimA power cut in Birmingham city centre affected the building where CrossCountry’s control centre is located.
ClaimA CrossCountry spokesperson said a power cut in Birmingham city centre affected the control centre building, many management systems were unavailable, services would be significantly disrupted on Sunday August 23 with reductions and cancellations across almost all routes, and apologised to affected passengers.
ClaimCrossCountry customers delayed by 30 minutes or more are entitled to Delay Repay compensation, and those who choose not to travel can claim a refund.
ClaimA CrossCountry spokesperson said on Sunday evening that the key priority was to restore as close to a normal service as possible for Monday, most facilities were reinstated, a very limited number of services would run from around 6pm primarily towards Leicester and Derby, planning was underway for a full Monday service, and the company was working with National Grid and industry partners.
ClaimTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was concerned about the power outage affecting CrossCountry services, knew it would be very frustrating to passengers, noted the Peterborough-Cambridge-Stansted service was still running, had asked publicly owned operators to lay on extra services where possible, and said Network Rail power teams were onsite working to restore power and systems.
ClaimTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander later said she was pleased some trains were set to run on Sunday night with a full timetable expected to resume on Monday, thanked engineers, and stated the government is setting up Great British Railways and nationalising services including CrossCountry next year.
ClaimTickets purchased for CrossCountry services on Sunday 23 August could be used with other train operators on the same route and remained valid on CrossCountry services until Wednesday 26 August.
ClaimAffected CrossCountry routes on Sunday included popular links such as Glasgow to Edinburgh, Manchester to Birmingham, Cheltenham to Cardiff, and Newcastle to Edinburgh.
ClaimRMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey called for a full root and branch review of railway operational control centres to ensure they remain unaffected by power outages.
ClaimChiltern Railways added services between Birmingham Moor Street and Oxford and said it would accept all CrossCountry tickets via any reasonable route.
ClaimJeff Prestridge, a semi-retired editor from Wokingham and West Bromwich Albion season ticket holder, had his journey to see West Bromwich Albion play Burnley cancelled due to the CrossCountry disruption.
ClaimNational Rail said a power failure within CrossCountry HQ meant they would be unable to run most of their services on Sunday 23 August, with the Peterborough to Stansted Airport service able to run.