A signalling fault due to a cabling issue at Manchester Piccadilly station was reported at 06:06 BST on September 22, 2026, forcing the closure of platform 8. Network Rail announced disruption would continue until 10:00 BST as engineers worked to resolve the problem.
Affected services and cancellations
Train operators including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Northern, TransPennine Express and Transport for Wales were impacted. Four Avanti West Coast services between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston were cancelled: the 06:02 and 06:23 departures from Manchester to London, and the 09:13 and 10:13 trains from London to Manchester. Northern cancelled services running between Manchester
Piccadilly and Hazel Grove, as well as between Piccadilly and Alderley Edge. Other Northern routes from Piccadilly remained unaffected.
Alternative travel arrangements and ticketing
Passengers affected by cancellations were advised to use alternative Northern services towards Buxton and Crewe via Stockport. Northern tickets were accepted on Avanti West Coast trains operating between Manchester Piccadilly and Wilmslow. Additionally, passengers could use the Bee Network 192 bus route between Manchester and Hazel Grove with valid Northern tickets. National Rail provided information on the disruption and ticket acceptance arrangements, recommending travellers check journey details before travelling.
Network Rail response
Clare Waller, Network Rail’s area director for Manchester, acknowledged the disruption and
issued an apology to passengers. She said teams were “working hard to fix the problem” and restore normal service operations at Manchester Piccadilly promptly.
