'Major Disruption' Warns Network Rail: Glasgow Trains Cancelled Until End Of Day

Commuters across Scotland and northern England have faced an afternoon of sheer transport chaos after a major failure of the overhead power lines severely disrupted operations at Glasgow Central station.

The busy terminus, a vital hub for domestic and cross-border travel, ground to a near-halt, leaving thousands stranded and causing a ripple effect of cancellations and delays across several key routes.

The disruption, deemed 'major' by Network Rail, began near the high-level platforms at Glasgow Central. Services were immediately cancelled or delayed in the south of Glasgow, impacting commuters heading to Paisley and Ayrshire, and severely affecting crucial cross-border routes to major cities including London, Liverpool, and Manchester.

For travellers, the rush hour commute quickly became a test of patience, as Network Rail warned the 'major disruption' was expected to last until the end of the day while engineers worked frantically to move a disabled train from below the damaged lines.

ScotRail confirmed the severity of the issue, stating no passengers were on the train when the electric wires were damaged. Thankfully, ScotRail later managed to partially ease the pressure by securing the use of platforms 12-15. This allowed the operator to begin running some services to and from Inverclyde and Ayrshire, but all other services heading to the south of Glasgow Central remain disrupted until further notice.

Mass Glasgow Trains Cancelled: Which Routes Are Hit By Electrical Line Damage?

The impact of the incident is far-reaching, striking the very heart of the central belt's rail network. The damage to the high-level platforms has caused widespread Glasgow Trains Cancelled and delay announcements that have affected several key operators and routes.

The following services were confirmed as affected:

• Avanti West Coast routes between Glasgow Central and London Euston.
• TransPennine Express routes between Glasgow Central and Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport.
• ScotRail services to and from Glasgow Central including those serving East Kilbride, Ayr, Paisley Canal, Gourock, Largs, Wemyss Bay, Barrhead, Neilston, Lanark, Carlisle, and Edinburgh.

Complete ScotRail cancellations included:

• The services between Glasgow Central and Newton via Kings Park.
• Both the Cathcart Inner Circle services (via Maxwell Park) and the Cathcart Outer Circle services (via Queens Park).
• Services between Glasgow Central and Neilston, Barrhead, East Kilbride, and Paisley Canal.

All other ScotRail routes, though not cancelled outright, may also experience significant delays as the network attempts to manage the backlog.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail's customer operations director, expressed regret, saying, 'We're sorry to customers who have experienced disruption to their journey today as a result of this incident, and we share their frustration when these things happen.' He assured the public that 'Network Rail engineers are working hard to repair damage to the overhead wires.'

Repair Efforts and Compensation for Glasgow Trains Cancelled Commuters

Network Rail engineers have been on site, working to cut away the damaged overhead lines and attempting to return the network to full service. Compounding the situation, ScotRail services from Ardrossan Harbour, Ayr, and Largs were initially affected by a separate, unrelated overhead wire fault further down the line at Glengarnock, near Dalry. Fortunately, that secondary issue has since been repaired, and Network Rail is now working with ScotRail to reinstate services in that specific area.

In the meantime, Network Rail is providing contingency planning for passengers hit by the lengthy delays. Services operating via Glasgow Central low-level are not affected, but for those travelling on the impacted high-level routes, alternative transport is being provided, including rail replacement buses running between:

• Glasgow Central and Newton.
• Glasgow Central and East Kilbride.
• Glasgow Central and Barrhead.
• Glasgow Central and Paisley Canal.
• Glasgow Central and Neilston.
• Glasgow and Kilwinning.

Additionally, to help passengers reach their destinations, tickets can be used at no extra cost on any alternative rail route, or on McGills and Stagecoach buses. They are also valid on the JMB Travel route 41 between Lanark and Motherwell.

For those delayed, Mr Campbell confirmed that anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more could claim compensation through the Delay Repay Guarantee via the ScotRail website or app. With repairs continuing into the evening, commuters should check the National Rail website for the latest updates before attempting to travel.