Northern trains delayed and cancelled due to signals fault

Northern warned passengers that the line was closed between Daisy Hill and Salford Crescent this morning, meaning that several trains were delayed or cancelled.

Network Rail said the fault, which began on Saturday night, was due to an "ongoing signalling failure at Atherton" but it has now been fixed.

Services are gradually returning to normal, but passengers have been advised to check online for live operating times.

Replacement bus services were put in place between Wigan Wallgate and Salford Crescent.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "We’re sorry to passengers affected by the signalling issues in the Atherton area which began on Saturday evening.

“Signalling problems can be complex and our engineers worked hard to find and then fix the issue which was faulty cabling.

"Trains are now able to run after tests this morning showed the signals were working safely and correctly.

“We thank passengers for their patience."

Replacement bus services were put in place, running at 5 minutes and 35 minutes past the hour until further notice between Wigan Wallgate and Salford Crescent.

Northern previously tweeted about the fault: "Due to the ongoing signalling failure at Atherton, the line is closed between Daisy Hill and Salford Crescent. Services between Manchester and Wigan Wallgate will still run but will be diverted and are unable to call at Daisy Hill, Hag Fold, Atherton, Walkden, Moorside and Swinton.

"Train services running through this station may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

"Staff have been on site since Saturday evening but as yet have been unable to rectify the fault and there is still no estimate for repairs to be completed.

"From 8am, Network Rail will allow a small number of trains to pass through the affected area under a special method of working."

Passengers should check National Rail's website for up-to-date train times.