A power outage has led to significant disruptions at Leeds Station, causing widespread cancellations and delays across various rail services. National Rail reported that a malfunction in the signalling system, triggered by the outage, resulted in blocked lines at the busy station.
Impact on Train Services
Several train operators, including LNER, Northern, CrossCountry, and TransPennine Express, have been affected. Key routes disrupted include:
- LNER services between London and Leeds, as well as Bradford Forster Square
- All Northern services
- CrossCountry and TransPennine Express trains
As of 16:30 GMT, some services resumed, but National Rail warned that delays would persist until approximately 22:00. Passengers are discouraged from traveling until conditions improve.
Alternatives for Travelers
In light of the severe disruption, LNER advised customers to postpone their journeys. They may use their tickets for later services or on Monday without incurring additional fees. Particularly, Northern reported no services operating through Leeds, while TransPennine Express closed lines from Manchester Victoria to York via Leeds.
CrossCountry has implemented limited road transport between York and Leeds, though other operators have not established rail replacement transport.
Cause of the Outage
Network Rail confirmed that the signalling failure was due to a faulty cable affecting several platforms. Technicians managed to restore power by 13:20, but many services remained disrupted afterward. A spokesperson expressed apologies for the inconvenience and urged passengers to check travel updates regularly.
Challenges for Passengers
Hundreds of travelers waited at Leeds Station, grappling with delays compounded by an ongoing 10k race in the city center that drawn over 12,000 participants. Many individuals, like Katie, who had just completed the race, found themselves stranded due to train cancellations.
Others, such as Gillian Potter, faced additional stress. She was scheduled to take the 13:05 to King’s Cross as part of an 18-hour journey to Thailand. With a flight to catch from Heathrow at 21:00 GMT, she remained anxious about reaching her destination.
Knock-On Effects
The disruptions at Leeds Station also impacted nearby rail services at other stations, including Doncaster. Travelers there experienced cancellations and delays since many trains were reliant on routes passing through Leeds.
As the situation develops, passengers are encouraged to remain patient and keep abreast of updates from rail operators.
