Trains Running Again After Days of Disruption at Manchester Piccadilly

Rail services have now resumed at Manchester Piccadilly station following major repair work to damaged overhead power lines that caused widespread disruption over recent days.

The fault first occurred on Thursday (16 April), when a section of high-voltage wiring failed on the approach to the station. The damage was compounded when part of the overhead line equipment became entangled with a passing train, affecting a stretch of around 400 metres.

Engineers from Network Rail worked continuously to assess and repair the infrastructure, with the complexity of the location requiring a full 12-hour closure of the railway to complete the work safely.

As a result, services were delayed in restarting on Sunday morning (19 April), with the station fully reopening at 11am. While trains are now running again — including long-distance services to and from London — operators have warned that timetables may take time to fully stabilise.

Passengers are being advised to check for the latest updates before travelling, particularly as major events in the city are expected to increase demand. These include the Manchester Marathon and a Premier League fixture between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.

Chris Wright, Network Rail North West route director, said:

“I’m sorry to passengers who’ve been impacted by the disruption since the overhead lines failed at Manchester Piccadilly on Thursday. Since that happened our teams of engineers have been working around the clock to repair the damaged 400-metre stretch of high-voltage wires which provide power to electric trains. I’d like to thank people for their continued patience and would advise anyone planning to travel into Manchester today to check National Rail Enquiries for the latest travel information.”

Although services have resumed, passengers are still being urged to allow extra time for their journeys while the network returns to normal operation.

Image: Network Rail