A signalling fault occurred at Manchester Piccadilly station on September 22, 2026, resulting in the closure of platform 8 from 06:06 BST. Network Rail attributed the issue to a cabling fault and reported disruption was expected until 10:00 BST that day.
Services cancelled on Manchester to London and local Northern routes
Four Avanti West Coast trains between Manchester and London Euston were cancelled due to the fault. The affected departures were the 06:02 and 06:23 from Manchester Piccadilly to London, and the 09:13 and 10:13 from London Euston to Manchester. Northern cancelled services operating between Piccadilly and Hazel Grove, as well as between Piccadilly and Alderley Edge. Other Northern routes
from Piccadilly remained operational. Several train operators including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Northern, TransPennine Express, and Transport for Wales experienced disruptions.
Alternative travel arrangements offered to affected passengers
Passengers impacted by cancellations could use alternative routes including Northern services heading towards Buxton and Crewe via Stockport. Northern ticket holders were able to travel on Avanti West Coast services between Manchester Piccadilly and Wilmslow. Additionally, tickets were accepted on the Bee Network 192 bus route running between Manchester and Hazel Grove.
Network Rail response and broader impact
Clare Waller, Network Rail’s area director for Manchester, apologised for the disruption and confirmed that teams were actively working to resolve the cabling fault
and restore services to normal. The closure of platform 8 at Manchester Piccadilly restricted train movements, causing cancellations and alterations across multiple routes served by several train companies.
