RAIL services to and from a major UK airport are currently down, sparking travel chaos.
Passengers are facing major disruptions and delays due to a points failure on the line.
All trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport are currently cancelled.
Trains are currently unable to run in either direction, with Northern, TransPennine Express, and Transport for Wales services all affected by the issue.
The points failure has occurred near Heald Green, approximately half way between the two stations, according to National Rail.
Passengers are advised to use the Metrolink or buses to travel between Manchester city centre and the airport this afternoon.
National Rail said “major disruption” is expected until at least 5pm today.
Network Rail confirmed it is “on site to investigate and resolve the issue”.
Failure to operate points correctly creates difficulties in safely switching tracks and avoiding rerouting trains.
One broken part can trigger larger, systemwide service outages.
The disruption comes ahead of planned engineering works on rail lines in the area scheduled to begin this weekend.
Anyone planning to travel should should check real-time updates through the official websites and apps of the applicable rail operators and consider alternative routes.