How a 90-second power outage sparked chaos for rail commuters
A 90-second power outage at a Network Rail operations centre in Manchester caused widespread rail disruption across the North West of England. The failure of backup systems led to signalling issues, forcing trains to stop and requiring a complex reboot of the network.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the vulnerability of centralized infrastructure hubs and raises concerns about the resilience of modern, high-tech rail control systems.
Image source, Getty Images By Katy Austin Transport correspondent Published 30 minutes ago The power failure which hit a Network Rail operations centre in Manchester was a rare incident.
But after commuters were left facing chaos , it has raised questions about how a short outage at one operating centre could have a widespread impact.
Network Rail will face scrutiny for how its systems coped and responded to the outage.
That's the publicly-owned body whose job it is to operate and maintain Britain's railway infrastructure. That means the tracks, signals, embankments and major stations.
It was at Network Rail's operating centre in Manchester that the problem started. Its operating centres are where crucial controls are housed that let trains run safely across the country, with Manchester's centre responsible for large parts of the North West.
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