Trains across parts of north-west England have ground to a halt after a power failure hit the signalling centre controlling the railway in the region.

Passengers awaiting Northern and TransPennine trains have been advised not to travel, with widespread cancellations and other services delayed by more than an hour already.

The National Rail enquiries website warned passengers of major disruption after the incident on Thursday afternoon, with trains in the Greater Manchester area, the Midlands and the north-west of England most affected.

A spokesperson said: “This is expected to cause major disruption until the end of the day. If you’re travelling with Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, London Northwestern, Northern, TransPennine Express, or Transport for Wales in the affected area your train may be cancelled, delayed, or revised.

“Please allow extra time to make your journey this afternoon as you may need to use an alternative route or change trains part-way through to reach your destination.”

Trains were stopped after a power cut just before 2pm in the Greater Manchester area where the Manchester Rail Operating Centre is located. An emergency generator did not start in time to maintain signalling operations.

Although power has been restored, safety protocols required a controlled restart of the systems at the centre. Trains are beginning to run but Network Rail said disruption would continue to affect any services running through the region.

Chris Wright, the north-west route director at National Rail, said: “We’re sorry to passengers impacted by a power issues in Manchester which is causing significant delays to trains through the city. While some services are now running major disruption is expected for the rest of the day. I’d urge anyone planning to travel to check National Rail enquiries for the latest information.”

Passengers travelling within Greater Manchester have been told they can use any Bee Network bus or Metrolink service at no extra cost.