Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

The transport secretary has said disruption is expected for the rest of the day and has advised passengers to check their journeys before they travel.

Heidi Alexander says in a post on X she is "sorry to hear passengers in the North West are affected by a power outage, with trains cancelled or delayed".

She adds that she is receiving regular updates while Network Rail works to resolve the issue.

James Kelly
BBC Your Voice

Image source, Stacey

Stacey was among passengers who were evacuated from a train that stopped prematurely in Manchester when signals failed.

The 38-year-old office worker, who was travelling from Deansgate to Leyland, praises staff for their efforts.

"There was a controlled evacuation from the viaduct - the train stopped when the signals went," Stacey tells us.

"One of the train conductors was leading a bunch of trainees and she was so calm and professional. The staff were phenomenal, especially the trainer!"

However, she says she's now having to pay £60 for a taxi home: "I hope I get reimbursed".

Image source, Getty Images

You may be entitled to some money back if your train journey is delayed or cancelled as a result of today's disruption.

National Rail says different train companies have different schemes, but adds that "they all offer compensation".

The amount you receive may depend on the type of ticket you have, with compensation for a single day ticket calculated differently than a season ticket, for example.

It will also depend on the length of delay - longer delays tend to entitle you to more compensation. Each train company has its own compensation threshold.

"Claims can be made online, or by post using a form that you can download from a train company website or get from a staffed station," National Rail says.

You can also use the nationwide scheme Delay Repay.

Bernadette McCague
BBC Your Voice

Matt and his partner Sarah landed in Manchester from Gibraltar earlier today and hoped to get the train home.

"We decided to get the train back to our home in Clitheroe for once and what a bad day to do it!" says Matt.

He says after seeing their train had been cancelled the pair booked an Uber to take them home instead.

"We managed to get [one] thankfully, but it's costing a fortune," adds Matt.

Katy Austin
Transport correspondent

It’s still unclear how long disruption will last. We do know that it's expected for the rest of the day.

Lots of trains and crews have been put out of position. A source at one train company recommended passengers check before they travel tomorrow morning too.

Today, there's a ripple effect on some services outside the area of disruption highlighted by train companies in Greater Manchester and the North West.

For example, Avanti West Coast runs long-distance services including those between Manchester and London Euston.

Hannah Karpel
Reporting from Leeds Station

We're at peak rush hour here at Leeds Station but so far it’s no busier than a usual Thursday evening.

Albeit the arrivals board is full of cancellations, bus replacements and alternative routes seem to be keeping everyone moving nicely.

Station staff are out in their numbers too, gathered around the customer service desk speaking with the public and helping them navigate a different journey.

So far, it appears journeys into London from Leeds are running as usual but the difficulty comes if you’re travelling further North.

James Kelly
BBC Your Voice

Chris is from Edinburgh but is stuck in Manchester after travelling down from Scotland yesterday on business.

The technology consultant says he has "no idea" how to get home and will likely book a hotel for the night despite the expense and inconvenience, describing it as "costly, inconvenient... frustrating".

"We're still being told there is no power to any of the trains, no electricity, and they don’t expect anything to run today until the end of the day," he says.

"I will have to get a hotel here and see if I can get home tomorrow."

Major disruption can have knock-on effectspublished at 17:20 BST

17:20 BST

Sean Dilley
Correspondent

We don’t yet have confirmation of the actual number of trains caught up in this disruption, but thousands of passengers are likely affected.

When there’s disruption like this you’ve got to think about the logistics behind the scenes, with managers from many companies co-ordinating their response.

This could impact other train operating companies around the country because train drivers, staff and railway workers have to travel using the rail network to get to their places of work.

It sounds a bit trite to say everything is connected, but indeed it is, and so there’s potential for knock-on effects.

Jared Evitts
BBC Newsbeat, in Birmingham New Street

I've been at Birmingham New Street this afternoon speaking to travellers impacted by the disruption.

Bradley Black is trying to travel back up to the north from Birmingham after visiting the city for training.

"I’d just finished, trying to get off at 15:00 and get back to get my daughter from nursery," he says. "I’ve got to New Street and all trains north are cancelled. It’s definitely not ideal."

And the 32-year-old faces another issue – paying late fees to collect his daughter. “I’m trying to ring the nursery and get a late pick-up, pay some extra cash to keep her there for a couple of hours."

Thomas Reeves is also facing delays and hoping to get onto the next train. He’s come off at New Street after starting his journey in Coventry.

“I just got on the train at Coventry, been on the train about ten minutes, they said the line has been terminated and now I’m stuck here,” says 18-year-old Thomas.

The pair met while they were working out how to get back to Manchester – and are hoping they don’t have to get an Uber all the way back up north.

Josh Parry
Reporting from Liverpool Lime Street

Liverpool Lime Street is a major travel hub in the North West, servicing routes across the country.

In the school holidays, it’s particularly busy with travellers using it to get to Manchester Airport and to London.

Crowds of passengers are gathered at the departures board, but it’s not filling anyone with any hope.

All of the trains are either delayed or disrupted; including services to Birmingham, Crewe, Manchester Airport and Nottingham.

One service to Warrington Central is managing to remain operational, with staff putting out a special announcement advising passengers that local Merseyrail trains to Wirral or elsewhere in Liverpool are still running as normal.

One passenger tells me they’re hoping to get back to Leeds in a taxi in order to make an important birthday celebration - at a cost of almost £150 - another is looking for someone to split the cost of a taxi to Birmingham with.

Some passengers are making the most of the sunshine on the steps of the station while they reassess their journeys.

Alex Akhurst
BBC Your Voice

A teacher from Bristol fears that she and her synchronised swimming team are likely to miss a performance in Edinburgh this evening due the disruption.

Becky, 56, who made it to Manchester with two of her fellow performers before being caught up in the disruption, says other passengers are "starting to get cross", adding that "it’s kicking off".

She adds that three trains had already been cancelled before they were able to start their journey in Bristol.

Becky says her group were told to "go to customer service" when exiting the train in Manchester but once there they were simply told there were "no onward plans".

"There’s another traveller here who’s got a show to go and see tonight in Edinburgh, and he’s looking to see if the four of us could get a car together," she adds.

National Rail now lists Lumo trains as among operators affected by the disruption.

A post on the company's X account says the 13:19 London Euston to Stirling service will be delayed from Preston due to the power outage.

Previous posts indicate the service had already been affected by unrelated issues.

James Kelly
BBC Your Voice

Image source, Sarah Nelson

Sarah Nelson, who has been unable to get to work due to the disruption, says she now faces a five-hour round trip to just get back to her home in Blackpool.

The remedial massage therapist's train to Manchester has been at Horwich Parkway for more than 90 minutes, and she says it's "going to be a nightmare" trying to get back home.

As she's stuck at an "outlying station", Sarah says there are very few options for onward travel and is now attempting to find a passenger to share a taxi with back to Blackpool.

"They're saying they will refund us if we get taxis, but in my experience this can be a slow and painful process," she adds.

"I'm probably going to see if I can get a bus to a larger station, but I'm really indecisive as I can't work out what's best to do."

Sarah adds that rail infrastructure in the North needs "proper investment" so that it does not "fail at the drop of a hat", adding that "it's pointless to improve journey times from London when the regional options are so broken".

National Rail has detailed specific advice for customers wanting to travel on each line affected by this afternoon's outage.

Avanti West Coast is not serving Macclesfield. Tickets can be used on other lines including CrossCountry between Birmingham New Street and Stoke-on-Trent and Transport for Wales services between Manchester Piccadilly and Crewe.

East Midlands Railway has asked people not to travel between Sheffield and Liverpool Lime Street.

The service has organised some bus travel between Sheffield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly. Tickets can also be used on Avanti West Coast services between Liverpool and London Euston and Greater Anglia services between Norwich and London Liverpool Street.

London Northwestern Railway is organising rail replacement services between Hartford and Liverpool Lime Street.

Northern customers have been asked not to travel. It advises tickets can be used on "reasonable routes" via Transport for Greater Manchester bus services and Metrolink services.

TransPennine Express has asked customers not to travel - tickets can be used on Bee Network buses, LNER services between Doncaster, Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh and some other routes.

Transport for Wales has organised buses between Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Piccadilly while tickets can be used on some other train services including Merseyrail between Liverpool and Chester.

The full advice is available on National Rail., external

Srosh Khan
BBC Newsbeat

We’re seeing more cancellation and disruption notices cropping up across the country.

My initial train from Birmingham New Street to London Euston this afternoon was cancelled, but I was able to board the next one and the journey hasn’t been affected since.

However, I’ve arrived in to a sea of worried faces at London Euston as more red cancellation notices pop up.

Hundreds are gathered by the boards awaiting to see if they’ll be affected.

Announcers are apologising for cancellations and delays, with trains to Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool among some of those affected.

There is widespread rail disruption across much of northern England due to an electrical failure, with customers facing long delays or cancellations.

Here's what we know:

• The disruption has been caused by a power failure in the Ardwick area which affected the Manchester Rail Operating Centre, which houses all the controls to safely operate the railway
• Our transport correspondent Katy Austin says there was a delay to the back-up supply kicking in
• National Rail says the areas directly affected are Greater Manchester and the north-west of England
• Rail companies impacted include Avanti West Coast, East Midlands, Northern, TransPennine Express, London Northwestern Railway and Transport for Wales

• National Rail previously advised the Midlands was impacted by the fault, but has since removed the region from its notice

What we don't know:

• We don't know what has caused the electrical fault at Manchester Rail Operating Centre, or the severity of it
• National Rail say disruption is expected until "the end of the day" but we don't yet know if it could last even longer

Image source, Ethan Saunders/BBC

Network Rail is warning of "major disruption for the rest of the day due to power issues impacting signalling".

In a statement, it says the problems first happened in Manchester "just before" 14:00 today.

"Currently no trains can run from Manchester Piccadilly through to Manchester Victoria and Bolton, impacting services right across the North West network," it adds.

"Some trains are running south and east of the city towards Stockport, but are also subject to delays.

"As a result, cancellations are expected on rail routes across Greater Manchester until the end of today (Thursday 6 August)."

It advises anyone planning on travelling to day to check in advance with National Rail or their individual rail company.

National Rail has updated its guidance, removing the Midlands from the areas currently affected.

It has advised that major disruption continues to be expected until the end of the day in the Greater Manchester area and north-west of England.

Katy Austin
Transport correspondent

I’ve had more details from Network Rail, which manages the infrastructure, to explain exactly what’s happened to cause this disruption.

My understanding is that there was a power supply failure in the Ardwick area of Manchester, not just affecting the railway.

But this affected Network Rail’s Regional Operating Centre, which houses all the controls to safely operate the railway, including signalling.

There was a delay to the back-up supply kicking in.

My understanding is that with signalling down, all affected trains had to stop.

Now, the aim is to get them all into stations, and then reboot the railway systems.

The railway is busy, and timetables are incredibly complex. Trains and staff ending up in the wrong place - especially when lots are affected at once - can have a big impact on the rest of the day’s plans, even once a problem is fixed.

TransPennine Express says trains are "unable to run safely" due to a failure of the communication systems on the network from a Network Rail power failure in the Greater Manchester and North West area.

The operator says no trains or replacement buses are running and passengers are strongly advised not to travel as it adds disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Passengers can apply for refunds at their point of purchase and those already travelling are able to use their tickets at no extra cost on Friday or across Metrolink, Northern, CrossCountry and LNER services as well as Bee Network buses.