How a 90-second power outage sparked chaos for rail commuters
Summary
A brief power outage at Network Rail’s control centre in Manchester caused major disruptions to train services across the North West of England. The backup power did not activate quickly enough, impacting signalling systems and causing delays while repairs were made.Key Facts
- The power cut lasted about 90 seconds at Network Rail’s Manchester operating centre.
- Backup power failed to start as quickly as expected, causing signalling systems to stop working.
- Signalling systems control train traffic, so trains had to be stopped during the outage.
- Some signal system parts were damaged and needed replacement, causing longer delays.
- The Manchester operating centre manages a large part of the railway network in the North West.
- Network Rail is investigating the incident and working on improving system resilience.
- Network Rail has moved from many old signal boxes to 12 centralised Rail Operating Centres across Great Britain.
- Experts warn that centralising controls makes the network more vulnerable if one centre fails.
- Network Rail receives government funding every five years; the latest budget started in 2024 with £44.1 billion allocated.
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