Train passengers are suffering a second day of disruption on Friday after a power outage ground trains to a halt across the Midlands and north-west England.
Network Rail said “most operators are running a full service” but some disruption remains as “trains and crew return to their normal positions”.
A power cut at 1.40pm on Thursday affected more than 400 Manchester postcodes including that of the Manchester Rail Operating Centre, which is the main control hub for north-west England’s railways.
Network Rail told the Press Association its back-up power generators failed to activate immediately.
This resulted in signals on railway lines switching to red, leading to widespread cancellations and delays to services.
Network Rail said it has launched an investigation into what happened.
Electricity distribution company SP Electricity North West’s website states there was an “incident on our high voltage cable” in Harpurhey, which is north-east of Manchester city centre.
A spokesperson said: “A power outage affected around 5,000 customers in the Manchester area at 1.40pm on Thursday.
“All power was fully restored within 90 seconds.”
Network Rail said on Friday morning that “most train services across the North West are running”.
It added that it fully restored signalling systems late on Thursday, and trains displaced by the disruption were returned to depots ahead of the start of service on Friday.
Train information service National Rail Enquires warned that disruption is expected to continue until midday on Friday, with passengers advised to check for travel updates.
Various ticket restrictions have been eased to help passengers get to where they need to go.
Train tickets are being accepted on Bee Network buses and Metrolink trams in Greater Manchester.
Empty train lines at Hunt’s Cross railway station in Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)PA WireChris Wright, Network Rail’s North West route director, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience following yesterday’s power outage and the disruption it caused across the North West.
“Our engineers worked through the night to restore signalling systems and recover the railway, and I’m pleased that most services are now running this morning.
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“While some passengers may still experience disruption, we’re continuing to work closely with train operators to return services to normal as quickly as possible.
“Anyone planning to travel this morning should continue to check before they travel for the latest information.”