Signalling fault causes 'chaos' at rail station

A signalling fault was behind delays which led to "utter chaos" at a train station which has become a key hub during the temporary closure of Manchester Piccadilly, Network Rail has said.

BBC Radio Manchester journalist Lawrence Mann, who was at Stockport station to catch a train to London, said commuters were packed three or four people deep on platforms, with several trains delayed or cancelled.

He said "stacks" of trains were waiting to be allocated a platform, with wrong platform announcements made and staff not seeming to have access to the latest information.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "Apologies to passengers impacted by the signalling issues in the Stockport area this morning."

The delays come as Manchester Piccadilly station is closed to some trains for nine days as part of a £7.9m upgrade, with no services in and out of London, to the Midlands or to the east across the Pennines until 22 February.

Mann added that there were also long queues for the toilets, as well as traffic congestion around Stockport station.

Commuter Jenny Flavell said communication was "poor", adding: "It's a bit ridiculous to be honest. It's one of the busiest days - Valentine's Day on a Saturday."

Simon Holder, who was also travelling, said: "This has been organised for months and it's obviously not been that well organised."

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: "Please check with train operators for up-to-date information as services recover and plan extra time if travelling from Stockport station.

"Thank you for your patience."

Ahead of the closure, Network Rail advised passengers to travel light, allow extra time for their journey and to be prepared to queue.

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