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Several tram and train services won’t run around Manchester on New Year’s Eve

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 31st December 2021

Public transport around Manchester is set to be disrupted on New Year’s Eve, with several tram and train routes not running.

Metrolink is closing three of its lines from 5pm today due to Covid-related staff shortages.

Meanwhile, strike action at CrossCountry is set to severely disrupt its service today.

It could lead to a night of chaos on what is historically one of the busiest nights of the year.

Manchester Piccadilly. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The majority of Metrolink tram services will run until 1am today to help people get home from New Year’s Eve celebrations.

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But the Eccles, Ashton and Manchester Airport lines will cease altogether after 5pm.

Metrolink has said it’s ‘due to the impact of Covid-19 on drive staffing levels’.

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Alex Cropper, interim head of operations at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “I would like to reassure passengers that we are doing all that we can to maintain as many scheduled Metrolink services as possible – while at the same time dealing with the impact of Covid-19 on tram drivers and staff.

“We do absolutely recognise the impact these changes may have on some people’s journeys and I would like to apologise for any inconvenience they may cause.

Metrolink trams at Manchester Victoria. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

“I would urge people to plan their journeys in advance before they head out for the evening, allow extra time to travel and check the TfGM website for the latest information.”

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Trams also won’t be running through Victoria between January 1 and 3, with services on the Bury, Rochdale, East Didsbury and Airport lines all terminating early and being replaced by rail replacement buses.

CrossCountry services from Manchester will be disrupted by planned strike action, running a ‘very limited’ service.

The RMT (The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) has instructed its members not to work on New Year’s Eve, following similar strike action on Christmas Eve.

The industrial action has been planned over what RMT says is an attempt to ‘undermine the role of the Senior Conductors and Train Managers by drafting in other staff to do their jobs’.

CrossCountry trains will be disrupted on New Year’s Eve. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “The disruption to services from the New Years Eve strike action is wholly down to these greedy private companies on our railways seeking to squeeze out every penny they can by hammering down on safety, jobs and workplace dignity.

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“Our members at CrossCountry and Gate Gourmet are standing up for all rail workers in their New Years Eve action as we expect a torrent of attacks on jobs, pay, safety, pensions and worki‎ng conditions in 2022.

Read more: Piccolino in Alderley Edge announces closure – with Gino D’Acampo tipped to take over

“We are ready for a New Year of campaigning and action on all fronts.”

CrossCountry will run a core but heavily reduced service between Manchester Piccadilly and Bournemouth.

Other trainlines are also warning of last-minute cancellations, delays and changes to services due to Covid-related staff shortages.

Featured image: Unsplash

News

Body found in search for missing Stockport postman Steven Caulfield

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A body has been found in the search for a 70-year-old former postman from Stockport who went missing a couple of months ago.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) issued a public appeal after to help find Steven Caulfield, who was last seen in the vicinity of the golf course next to Middlewood Way, in the Marple area of Stockport, at around 4pm Tuesday 1 October, after he failed to return home from a walk.

Steven was spotted on CCTV, with images being released to the public shortly after, but his whereabouts was still unknown.

Since Steven was reported missing, an extensive missing person investigation was launched by Stockport detectives, alongside a widespread search by specialist GMP officers, and a number of missing appeals were also published on social media and shared widely – not just in Greater Manchester, but all across the UK.

But sadly, at around 12pm yesterday (Wednesday 11 December 2024), a GMP officer has sadly located a body in a woodland area near to Middlewood Way in Stockport, and at this time, police believe this is likely to be the body of Steven Caulfield.

Steven’s next of kin have been made aware and are currently being supported by officers.

There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding Steven’s death, according to GMP.

Speaking on the discovery of the body, Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes, Stockport District Commander and GMP lead for Disaster Victim Identification, said: “Our deepest condolences remain with Steven’s family and friends, who have been devastated by this traumatic news, we have officers supporting them through this difficult time.

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“It has been a challenging couple of months since the missing report came to us in GMP and our Tactical Aid Unit, Specialist Search, Canine and Underwater Units were all utilised to search for Steven in challenging conditions and locations around the Middlewood Way.

“We hope today’s discovery provides some answers for Steven’s loved ones.”

Featured Image – GMP

News

Plans submitted for new £250 million mixed residential neighbourhood in Stockport

Danny Jones Danny Jones New Stockport 8 neighbourhood planning permission

Plans have officially been submitted for a brand-new £250 million neighbourhood in the heart of Stockport town centre.

The new mixed residential mini-village simply dubbed, ‘Stockport 8’, has been put forward by the local LLP of the same name, set up as part of a partnership between Stockport Council and ECF (English Cities Fund – itself a joint venture between Homes England, Legal & General, and Muse).

Set to cost a quarter of a million, the proposed neighbourhood is just the latest step of the ever-growing Stockport Mayor Development Corporation (MDC) masterplan, a wider £500m scheme to transform the specific Stockport Town Centre West area into the most sustainable, liveable town centre in the UK.

With a planning application now submitted, we’ve also been given another look at what the new Stockport neighbourhood would look like if green-lit.

when is Stockport 8 due to be finished?

We first heard reports of the new Stockport 8 neighbourhood back in January after CGIs of what the developers envisioned were shared with the public, alongside how it fit into the West blueprints.

The overall goal of the development is to create a high-quality, green neighbourhood featuring a mix of housing tenures to suit existing and new homeowners and tenants.

Aiming to build a grand total of 1,300 high-quality, energy-efficient homes all told as part of a whipping £1bn investment in Stockport town centre, there will also be room for businesses and community spaces on the ground floor level to knit into the existing centre and its community.

There’s also an insistence from those behind the project to create different atmospheres, creating new environments for people to meet, socialise, relax and enjoy, such as residential courtyards and green roofs, as well as the usual modern amenities re: parking, vehicle charging, bike storage etc.

All told, the council and their development partners – which include chief designers, shedkm, and landscape architects, Planit – are hoping to contribute nearly a third of the homes in Stockport MDC masterplan, which is hoping to surpass 4,000 homes over a total of 130 acres.

stockport 8 neighbourhood
stockport town centre masterplan

As well as helping contribute to the busy and vital road network that is continuing to be redeveloped, the goal is to create a safe and sustainable travel environment too, with a pedestrian-only street running through the centre of the scheme.

With one big road (Cook Street) running throughout the neighbourhood, the new builds will also look to knit into Stockport’s existing structure, celebrating the area’s rich heritage and character by even reintroducing historic street patterns and street names.

If you’re interested in the skyline-changing new project, you can find out more HERE.

Planning permission applications in Manchester can sometimes take upwards of 13 weeks due to the various individual stages and processes, so we’re still a while of way from knowing if/when Stockport 8 will begin work but with a summer 2027 completion date, it could be a huge moment for the town.

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Featured Images — Supplied

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