Widespread rail disruption due to signalling fault

The fault is affecting lines running through Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent

A major fault with a signalling system led to the closure of rail lines on Friday afternoon, causing disruption to services across England.

Although the lines have now reopened in the Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent area, services were expected to continue to be heavily disrupted for the rest of the day, warned National Rail.

Network Rail said the issue had been caused by a signalling power failure at 14:45 GMT, adding that teams were "working to restore the failure and recover services as quickly as possible".

Routes between Stafford and Crewe, Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester Piccadilly and Derby have been affected, with cancellations, delays or revisions.

Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, London Northwestern Railway and Northern services are affected.

Avanti West Coast is advising customers not to travel on all routes between London and Manchester, Liverpool, Holyhead and Preston.

Tickets dated for Friday would be valid on Saturday at no extra cost, a spokesperson for National Rail said.

"If you are travelling between Rugby, Nuneaton, Wolverhampton, or Stafford and Crewe, or between Lichfield Trent Valley and Stafford, you can travel on rail replacement bus services," they added.

Journeys on rail replacement transport would take longer, they added.

The situation at Euston station was described as "chaos" by one passenger

Hannah Tobin, who wanted to travel to Coventry from Euston at 15:10 GMT described the situation at the London station as "chaos" following the signalling fault in Staffordshire.

There had been nothing going out on the West Coast mainline and hardly any announcements, she said.

The Nantwich Christmas Lights Switch On was also affected as actor Ben Miller, who was due to perform the cermony, could not make it to the Cheshire town due to the cancellation of trains at Euston.