CrossCountry cancelled almost all of its train services across Great Britain on Sunday after a power cut affected its control centre in Birmingham.
The major disruption affected many routes across the network. Most services were cancelled until further notice as engineers worked to restore power and the systems needed to run trains.
Routes affected included services between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham, Cheltenham and Cardiff, and Newcastle and Edinburgh.
CrossCountry warned passengers to expect major changes throughout the day. The operator said only a very limited number of trains were expected to run from around 6pm.
The company said it hoped to return to a near normal service on Monday. However, passengers were advised to check travel information before leaving home.
A near normal service was expected between Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport. A planned replacement bus service was also running between Leicester and Peterborough.
The power failure caused problems at CrossCountry’s control centre in Birmingham. This centre plays a key role in managing train services across the network.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was concerned about the disruption. She acknowledged that the outage would be frustrating for passengers who rely on CrossCountry services.
Alexander said the service between Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport was still running.
She also said she had asked publicly owned train operators to add extra services where possible. Network Rail power teams were sent to the site to help restore power and train systems.
CrossCountry apologized to passengers affected by the disruption. The operator said the problem was significant and unexpected.
The company also introduced special ticket rules to help affected passengers complete their journeys.
Tickets booked for CrossCountry services on Sunday could be used on other train operators along the same route. CrossCountry tickets would also remain valid on its services until Wednesday, August 26.
Chiltern Railways added extra services between Birmingham Moor Street and Oxford. The operator said it would accept CrossCountry tickets through any reasonable route.
LNER also agreed to accept CrossCountry tickets. The move was designed to help passengers reach their destinations despite the widespread cancellations.
Passengers who faced long delays may also be able to claim compensation.
Customers can apply for Delay Repay compensation when their train is delayed by 30 minutes or more. Passengers who decide not to travel can instead request a refund for their ticket.
The disruption comes during a difficult period for CrossCountry. The train operator has faced several rounds of delays and cancellations in recent months.
A passenger watchdog warned CrossCountry earlier this year that it needed to improve its performance.
In June, the watchdog called for better information for passengers during service problems. It also raised concerns about overcrowding on CrossCountry trains.
A passenger survey showed that 87% of rail customers across Great Britain were satisfied with their train experience.
However, satisfaction was lower among CrossCountry passengers. Only 79% of its customers said they were satisfied.
Passengers were especially unhappy with how the operator handled delays and disruption.
The latest power failure adds another challenge for the company as it works to improve its service.
CrossCountry said it was working with other groups to restore normal operations. The operator also said it would run as many trains as possible when systems allowed.
However, passengers were warned to expect significant reductions and cancellations across almost all CrossCountry routes.
The company urged customers to stay informed as the situation developed. Further updates were expected as work continued at the Birmingham control centre.
The disruption also highlights how a problem at one key location can affect rail travel across a large part of Great Britain.
For passengers, the main advice was to check the latest travel information before starting a journey and consider alternative train services where available.
CrossCountry said it was sorry for the impact on passengers and was working to restore its normal timetable as quickly as possible.
