Travellers warned of strike-day disruption

Travellers warned of strike-day disruption

Travellers are being warned to plan ahead and expect disruption on Saturday 8 April as staff on Northern and Merseyrail services hold a new 24-hour strike.

Most Northern and Merseyrail services are not expected to run and any that do operate, working to a revised timetable, will be extremely busy.

The 24-hour strike runs between midnight Friday (7 April) to midnight Saturday (8 April). There will be no Northern and Merseyrail trains before 8am or after 7pm.

There are a number of major events taking place across the North West on 8 April, including the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse, Manchester City FC versus Hull City FC at the Etihad Stadium, and the World Boxing Organisation title fight between Liam Smith versus Liam Williams at Manchester Arena, as well as other local events.

Thousands of people will also be travelling across the region for shopping, entertainment and leisure, so all public transport and Greater Manchester’s roads are expected to be busier than usual.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), which is helping to co-ordinate the region’s response, is urging people to carefully consider their travel arrangements.

Those attending the Grand National, in particular, are encouraged to plan ahead. Although train services are running to Aintree Racecourse they will be extremely busy, and people are warned not to rely on the last train service of the day to get home.

TfGM is working to support Northern and Merseyrail’s own customer communications effort and has created a special travel information page on its website to help keep Greater Manchester commuters on the move: tfgm.com/industrial-action]tfgm.com/industrial-action.

TfGM’s Events and Operational Coordination Manager, John Fryer, said: “We are taking action to minimise the disruption to the transport network but we know there will still be problems, especially given the number of events taking place on Saturday.

“To help minimise disruption and ensure a smoother journey, our advice is simple: plan ahead, be prepared, and think about all your travel choices.

“There are numerous park and ride sites across Greater Manchester offering 100 or more spaces for public transport services, helping people to avoid congestion on the roads.

“Metrolink tram stops provide access to key destinations across Greater Manchester, including Manchester Arena and Etihad Stadium.

“We also strongly advise that people check the Northern and Merseyrail websites for regular updates and information.”