Commuters facing rush hour battle with warning over Manchester trains 'cancelled and delayed'

Commuters heading to Manchester are being warned to expect disruption this morning after a signalling fault on a busy railway line. National Rail says some Northern, TransPennine Express and Transport for Wales services could be delayed or cancelled until 9am today (October 7).

It follows a signalling fault at Earlestown earlier this morning. Services between Manchester and Liverpool, Chester and Warrington are among those likely to be affected.

The issue was first reported by National Rail at around 6.15am. Rail replacement buses have been running between Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Piccadilly.

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Northern customers affected by the disruption have been able to use their tickets on Avanti West Coast services between Warrington and Wigan, and Transport for Wales services for Manchester Piccadilly. Tickets are also being accepted on the Metrolink.

In an update to customers at around 7.40am, a spokesperson for National Rail wrote on Twitter: "Lines have reopened following a fault with the signalling system at Earlestown. Trains running through this station may still be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised."

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