Another day of chaos at Manchester Piccadilly with over 120 cancellations

More than 120 trains were cancelled after damage to the overhead wires(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Commuters at Manchester Piccadilly faced a day of frustration as widespread rail disruption left hundreds stranded, delayed or scrambling for alternative routes.

More than 120 trains were cancelled after damage to the overhead wires yesterday at 11:20am brought parts of the station to a standstill, with disruption stretching into the second day.

Although services began to recover in the early afternoon, delays, cancellations and platform changes continued to be announced over the tannoy system in the station.

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Among those caught up in the chaos was one traveller returning home after an international journey.

"I've flown in from the Philippines to Manchester Airport this morning, arrived about 9 o'clock, and wanted to get the 10:01 train to Crewe in the airport, which was cancelled. So then I was going to get the 11:01, and that's been cancelled," they said.

"So then I've had to come into Manchester Piccadilly, and then I have to get another train now to Crewe. It'll be about an hour and a half, this journey now."

What should've been a simple straightforward journey had turned into a complicated ordeal.

"All together, if I'd have gone from the Airport to Crewe, it would have been half an hour. So it'll take nearly two hours just for me to get back to Crewe from here. With all the waiting in between."

"I've been trying since 9 o'clock this morning to get back home. I would have got back about half past ten originally and now it's midday and I'm still not on a train to go home. Once I do get on the train, it will take me about two hours to get home."

Scenes inside Piccadilly showed crowds gathering beneath the departure boards, eyes fixed on the screens for the latest updates. Passengers could be seen checking their phones, finding alternate routes and asking staff for information, while coaches and replacement buses lined up outside for those caught up in the disruption in an effort to ease the situation.

Another passenger attempting to return back to London, described how quickly things unravelled for him.

"I live in London and travelled here for a work trip. I bought the train ticket about ten minutes ago but now the train is cancelled.," they said.

"I'm a little frustrated, there are no more direct trains to London so now I have to take a different route to Crewe and then make my way back."

Operators including Avanti West Coast, Northern and CrossCountry were among those affected, with services across the North West and beyond either delayed or cancelled entirely.

Routes linking Manchester with London, Liverpool, Birmingham and Nottingham were all impacted.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said engineers worked overnight on "complex repairs" which took longer than anticipated due to the extent of the damage.

They said: "We are sorry for the impact of the disruption at Piccadilly station this morning, which has been caused by overhead line damage."

"Engineers worked through the night on complex repairs which took longer than expected as the damage was more extensive than first anticipated.

"Trains are now running but services are still disrupted. We are working closely with our train operator partners to keep passengers on the move wherever possible, please check the National Rail Enquiries website for the latest information today and over the weekend."

An update at 1pm shared that the majority of trains were now running as normal at Piccadilly, although some services were being delayed or cancelled, with some platforms remaining out of use and disruption expected to last throughout the day.

Despite the chaos casting a subdued mood, there were some small moments of relief. At times, the sound of a piano being played by members of the public gifted spirits among weary travellers.

As rush hour approached, patience wore thin. With more passengers arriving, frustration grew as many turned up to find out their train had been delayed.

Passengers are being urged to check before they travel, with further overnight engineering work expected to take place in the next few days. Many affected may also be eligible for compensation via the delay and repay scheme.