Monzo says it has resolved an issue affecting its mobile banking app on Tuesday afternoon after thousands of customers reported difficulties accessing it.

Platform outage monitor Downdetector saw more than 4,000 reports from users complaining of problems shortly after 15:00 GMT.

The company earlier acknowledged an issue affecting its app – telling customers who tried to use it that it would “not be fully functional” while it investigated.

A Monzo spokesperson said “customers can now use the app as normal.”

“For a short period today, we activated Monzo Stand-in – our fully independent backup bank – while we investigated an issue,” they told the BBC.

“Customers were always able to make payments with their card, withdraw cash, freeze their card and send and receive bank transfers.”

Many attempting to open the app after 15:00 GMT on Tuesday were met with a notice telling them “we’re experiencing issues”.

This said the app would not function as normal but other services, such as viewing account details and moving money between accounts, would be available.

However, some users attempting to access the app took to social media to complain to Monzo that they could not view funds, recent payments or make bank transfers.

In posts seen by the BBC, some X users also told Monzo they had been unable to use their card or withdraw money.

The BBC has asked Monzo for comment about these complaints.

The company has more than 14 million personal and business customers across the UK.

It has previously highlighted its back-up banking infrastructure as a way it avoids large-scale outages and issues for customers – many of which were seen across other UK banks during a spate of online outages last year.

About 1.2m people in the UK were affected by banking outages occurring on what was pay day for many in early 2025.

The government is set to announce its intention to build a new rail link between Birmingham and Manchester, the BBC understands.

Previous plans for the HS2 high-speed rail line had included a line between the two cities, but that part of the project was scrapped by Rishi Sunak’s government.

On Wednesday, the government is also expected to confirm proposals for new and improved rail links across the North of England in a scheme known as Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).

Little detail about a new Birmingham to Manchester route is anticipated, other than the intention to build it after NPR is completed, meaning it may not happen for decades.

Plans to bring high-speed rail to the north of England were first put forward by former Conservative chancellor George Osborne in 2014.

The existing West Coast main line is very crowded and ministers acknowledge the need to increase capacity at some point.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has supported the idea of an alternative new line between Birmingham and Manchester.

A new rail line between Liverpool and Manchester is seen a central piece of the overall Northern Powerhouse rail project, which is aimed at cutting travel times between northern cities and towns as well as boosting the UK economy outside of London.

But expected announcements from the current government were put on ice several times last year due to cost concerns.

Insiders said an extended review process of the project was under way in a bid to avoid mistakes made with HS2, which has been dogged by problems and costly delays.

HS2 is currently tens of billions of pounds over budget and around a decade behind schedule.

Reports state that the now-shortened line between Birmingham and London could cost £81bn.

Accounting for inflation, that would mean at least £100bn will be spent but only 135 miles of railway built.

HS2 Ltd, the company created by the Department for Transport, has accepted it failed to keep overall costs under control and said delivery has not matched what it described as the unrealistic early expectations.

The Conservatives said Labour had “no ability to follow through on its promises”.

Shadow Rail Minister Jerome Mayhew said: “Labour have spent months talking up Northern Powerhouse Rail, yet today they’ve put back any plans to actually deliver it and rewritten timetables on the fly.

“Northern Powerhouse Rail could have been transformational, empowering regional growth and regeneration.

“Under Labour it risks becoming a permanent mirage that is endlessly redesigned, downgraded and never delivered.”