CrossCountry hopes to operate all train services today

Services were severely affected after a power outage affecting its control centre resulted in major disruption across the network on Sunday, August 23.

The power outage in Birmingham started on Saturday and resulted in many of the systems used to manage the railway being unavailable, the operator said.

“Almost all” services were cancelled on Sunday, including popular routes linking Glasgow to Edinburgh, Manchester to Birmingham, Cheltenham to Cardiff and Newcastle to Edinburgh.

CrossCountry trains services should return to normal today

A CrossCountry spokesperson said: “Our key priority is now to restore as close to a normal service as possible for our customers tomorrow.

“With most facilities now reinstated, we are planning to operate a very limited number of services from around 18:00 this evening, primarily on routes towards Leicester and Derby.

⚠️A full CrossCountry service is expected to operate on Monday 24 August following a power cut affecting our control centre today, Sunday 23 August

Passengers are still advised to check before travelling tomorrow:- https://t.co/MPIUm3OpAD

— CrossCountry Trains (@CrossCountryUK) August 23, 2026

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“Planning is underway to support a full train service on Monday and we are working closely with National Grid and industry partners as recovery efforts continue.

“We would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during today’s disruption.”

On Sunday, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, said: “Following earlier disruption on CrossCountry services, I am pleased to hear some trains are set to run tonight, and a full timetable expected to resume tomorrow.

“While passengers should continue to check their journeys before they travel, I’d like to thank engineers who are working tirelessly to minimise disruption as much as possible.

“We are setting up Great British Railways and nationalising services, including CrossCountry next year, to end decades of fragmentation and vulnerability on our network.

“We are determined to give passengers the reliability they deserve.”

Passengers are being advised to check their journeys before travelling.

CrossCountry said tickets will continue to be accepted by other train operators across its network.

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You can get the latest travel updates via the CrossCountry website.

Can CrossCountry passengers get a refund for tickets?

Whether you have been on the train and experienced delays or you’re finding alternative travel arrangements, you might be able to ask for a refund.

Customers delayed by 30 minutes or more may be eligible for Delay Repay compensation.

Those who decide not to travel can claim a refund from their original point of purchase.

Are you affected by the power cut? Let us know in the comments below.