The rail group reported the incident shortly after 2pm and expects journeys to be impacted until at least the end of the day. Services in the Greater Manchester area, the Midlands and the north-west of England are being affected. A National Rail spokesperson said: “This is expected to cause major disruption until the end of the day. “If you’re travelling 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.”