​​​​​​​Rail and bus strikes - October

Industrial action is taking place in October and may cause disruption to your employees' commute to work. There will be significant disruption to the following services:

• Rail services provided by Northern on Tuesday 3 and Thursday 5 October.

Most Northern services are not expected to run and any that do operate will be working to a revised timetable. A full list of the services affected will be available here 

• Bus services, provided by First Bus, on each Monday in October, starting from 2nd October.

Services from Bolton and Rusholme (South Manchester) will be affected. A full list of the services affected is available here

Other First Manchester services, run from the Oldham and Queen's Road (Cheetham Hill, Manchester) depots, will not be affected.

TfGM's Safer Travel & Demand Management Manager, John Fryer, said:

“We are taking action to minimise the disruption to the transport network but we know there will still be problems.
 
“Commuters can play their part to minimise these and our advice is simple: plan ahead, be prepared, and think about all your travel choices."

It is expected that alternative rail and bus routes, as well as trams and roads will be busier as passengers alter journey plans. Journey times are expected to be longer as well, particularly in the morning and evening peaks.

A list of major works and events taking place across Greater Manchester can be viewed on the TfGM website.
 
If you have any questions about our rail or bus strike journey advice please contact the Travel Choices team on 0161 244 1264 or business.travel@tfgm.com.
 

23 & 24 September: Changes to Metrolink services for planned improvement works

Due to planned improvement works, there will be some changes to services during the weekend of 23/24 September.

he Bury line will be affected on both days, with changes to last services on Saturday and early morning Sunday, while the Eccles line services will be affected on Sunday only. 

On Sunday there will also be some changes to early morning services on the East Didsbury to Rochdale line before 8am only. During this time, some replacement bus services will run but, at all other times, Metrolink services will operate normally.

Please plan ahead and allow extra travel time if your journey is affected.

Saturday 23 September:

The following bus replacement services will run:

• Travelling from Piccadilly towards Bury after 11.30pm 
• Travelling from Bury towards Piccadilly after 11.45pm 

Buses will call at all stops except Market Street until the end of service in both directions.

Sunday 24 September:

The following bus replacement services will run: 

• Piccadilly to Eccles via MediaCityUK all day (calling at all stops)
• Bury to Piccadilly before 8am (calling at all stops except Market Street)
• Piccadilly to Central Park before 8am (calling at all stops except Exchange Square) 

Normal service will resume on all lines on Monday 25 September.

Please buy your ticket as usual from the machines on stops or via the get me there app (Google Play and Apple stores) before boarding replacement bus services.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

For more information on Metrolink services, call Metrolink Customer Services on 0161 205 2000 or follow @MCRMetrolink for live travel updates

Metrolink Trafford Park Line – Gas Diversion

Dear Recipient,

As you will be aware, work is well underway on the much anticipated Metrolink Trafford Park Line. This new six stop route will offer fast, frequent connections to jobs, leisure, shopping and cultural destinations and to the wider tram network.

A large part of the current work is to divert various utility services from the tram route. As part of these works, along Village Way from Mosley Road up to Park Way we have been laying a new gas pipe which was successfully pressure tested last weekend.

The next step for this piece of work is to release the gas from the old gas pipe and to start running gas through the new pipe, whilst maintaining a supply. This is planned in three phases. At some point during each phase the gas will be released from the pipe for two hours, the dates of each are:

-          Thursday 21st September – Friday 22nd September

-          Wednesday 27th September

-          Monday 2nd October and Tuesday 3rd October

As the gas main is a private main, there is no risk of your gas supply being affected.

Please be reassured that this process is standard practice and perfectly safe. During the venting process:

-          It will be noisy due to the pressure of the gas.

-          There will be a smell of gas in the area due to the nature of the work.

-          During the venting there will be a temporary closure of the footpath opposite Evans Halshaw at the Mosley Road and Village Way junction. The area will be marshalled during the two hours and any pedestrians will be assisted.

Sign up

We will provide project updates, travel advice and news updates through an electronic newsletter. To sign up for these please visit www.tfgm.com/MetrolinkTPL. To find updates through social media look for #MetrolinkTPL.

Contact the team

We will continue to work closely with Trafford Council, engage with stakeholders along the route and will provide more information as we progress with the scheme. To contact a member of our team email MetrolinkTPL@tfgm.com or call us on 0161 244 1555 (lines open during office hours).

Yours faithfully,

Steve Burns
Metrolink Stakeholder and Communications Manager, Metrolink Projects
Transport for Greater Manchester

Metrolink Trafford Park Line Update

Dear Recipient,

I would like to provide you with an update on Metrolink work in Trafford Park. Works planned are as follows:

-          Village Way– The postponed closure of Village Way from Parkway Circle to Mosley Road has been rescheduled to start on Saturday 16th September from 10pm until 8am Sunday 17th September (or until the completion of the gas pipe testing work).

-          Ashbridge – The postponed overnight closure of Ashbridge from a point 150 metres east of its junction with Tenax Road to the end of the cul-de-sac has been rescheduled to start on Saturday 16th September from 10pm until 8am Sunday 17th September (or until the completion of the gas pipe diversion work).

Please note that there will be signposted diversion routes in place for each of the above works and access to businesses will be maintained.

The the relevant notices of intent for your information can be accessed by clicking here.

Travel Information: The local authority has put a lane closure of a short distance in place this afternoon westbound on Westinghouse Road, please allow extra time for your journey or reroute from this area. Please also be aware that there is a MUFC home match this evening.

If you have any questions or queries regarding the above, or feel you or your business would benefit from a meeting or information event, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team at MetrolinkTPL@tfgm.com or call us on 0161 244 1555 (lines open during office hours).

Kind Regards,

Karen Aldcroft,
Public Liaison Officer, Metrolink Projects.
Transport for Greater Manchester,
2, Piccadilly Place, Manchester,M1 3BG.
Information Line: 0161 244 1555 Direct Line 0161 244 1417
www.tfgm.com

Weather warning issued by Met Office

Passengers are being urged to plan ahead and allow more time for travel this evening and tomorrow morning after the Met Office issued a weather warning for strong winds.

Gusts of 55-65 mph, potentially reaching 75 mph in some places, look set to hit the region at 8pm on Tuesday night and continue until 10am on Wednesday morning.

The weather is likely to increase journey times across all modes of transport, with damage to trees and restrictions on roads and bridges possible.

You can keep up-to-date with the latest weather updates from the Met Office here.

John Fryer, TfGM’s Transport and Event Planning Lead, said: “We advise all passengers to take extra care tonight and tomorrow when you're out and about, no matter what form of transport you use.

“Please plan ahead and allow more time for your journey as disruption to journey times is likely. 

“Follow TfGM’s social media channels and check with your operator for the latest travel and transport updates.”

For information on public transport across Greater Manchester visit www.tfgm.com, call 0161 244 1000 (7am-8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am-8pm at weekends and bank holidays) or follow @OfficialTfGM on Twitter.

Travel advice ahead of landmark event for Manchester

https://beta.tfgm.com/manchester-arena

Manchester Arena is set to re-open with a special star-studded charity concert this weekend and transport co-ordinators are advising people attending to plan their journeys in advance.

A capacity crowd of over 14,000 is expected at the arena on Saturday (9 September) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) are confident they have the expertise to keep everyone moving before and after the landmark event.

Whilst the city centre and public transport are expected to be busier than normal on Saturday, TfGM have worked with organisers and Greater Manchester Police to develop robust plans and bespoke travel advice pages, which can be found https://beta.tfgm.com/manchester-arena  

A number of road closures will be in place in the city centre before and after the concert, so visitors are being advised to allow extra time to travel and to use public transport wherever possible.

Manchester Arena are advising attendees to arrive as early as possible as enhanced security measures and bag checks will be in operation.

All of Greater Manchester’s Park and Ride sites will be open and as many Metrolink trams as possible will be in operation until 1.30am.

Manchester Arena is served well by a number of bus services, with Shudehill interchange being a five minute walk away. However, road closures mean a number of these services may be diverted at times, so passengers are being advised to check in advance with their operator for the latest information.

Free Metroshuttle services operate to and from the arena and can be boarded at both Victoria and Piccadilly station approaches. 

Although a normal rail timetable is expected to be in place, rail services are expected to be busy so passengers should plan their journey in advance.

John Fryer, TfGM’s Transport and Event Planning Lead, said: “We have been working hard with event organisers and partners and we are confident that our transport plans will help to support what promises to be poignant and special occasion for the city.

“We’ll be providing as much capacity as possible and our travel advice pages have lots of useful information so our advice would be to check them before you travel.

“Public transport will provide the best and quickest way of getting around and you should plan your journey in advance, allowing a little bit of extra time as it is going to be busy across the city centre.”

The doors for the arena will open at 5pm, with the concert due to start at 6.30pm and expected to finish between 11 and 11.30pm. Full details about venue safety and access are available at http://www.manchester-arena.com/events/we-are-manchester/6069/  

Manchester City will face Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium earlier in day with a 12.30pm kick off. Travel advice for this fixture is available at https://beta.tfgm.com/travel-updates/manchester-city/matchday-travel-advice

Customers are advised to follow @OfficialTfGM for all the latest travel and transport updates.

For information on public transport across Greater Manchester visit www.tfgm.com, call 0161 244 1000 (7am-8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am-8pm at weekends and bank holidays) or follow @OfficialTfGM on Twitter.