Manchester Piccadilly trains running after urgent overhead wire repairs

Rail services have resumed into Manchester Piccadilly after urgent repairs to the overhead lines which power trains.

Network Rail teams worked throughout the night to fix the high-voltage cables on the approach to the North West’s busiest railway station after they failed on Thursday 16 April.

That led to a stretch of the wires being caught and damaged on a passing train, causing major delays for passengers.

Due to the complex area where this took place, with over 400 metres of damaged lines, an extended 12-hour closure of the railway was needed for overhead line specialists to carry out the urgent repairs.

That’s meant some services starting later than usual today (Sunday 19 April), with the railway fully reopening at 11am.

While all services – including long-distance trains to and from London – can now serve Manchester Piccadilly station, passengers are advised to check the latest travel information at www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator while train timetables return to normal.

With large events taking place in the city, including the Manchester Marathon and Premier League clash between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, people are advised to check www.nationalrail.co.uk before they make their journey.

Chris Wright, Network Rail North West route director, said: “I’m sorry to passengers who’ve been impacted by the disruption since the overhead lines failed at Manchester Piccadilly on Thursday. Since that happened our teams of engineers have been working around the clock to repair the damaged 400-metre stretch of high-voltage wires which provide power to electric trains.

“I’d like to thank people for their continued patience and would advise anyone planning to travel into Manchester today to check National Rail Enquiries for the latest travel information.”

For more information on how we repair our overhead line systems when they fail, you can visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/rail-travel/delays-explained/overhead-line-equipment-failures/