A power failure lasting about 90 seconds caused major disruption across rail services in north-west England, affecting signalling and other systems needed to operate trains safely. The short outage led to cancellations, delays and knock-on problems that continued well after electricity was restored. Passengers faced crowded stations and altered journeys as operators worked to reset equipment and recover the timetable. The incident showed how even a very brief loss of power can disrupt a tightly connected railway network for many hours.