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TfGM issues travel warning ahead of Manchester’s ‘busiest’ weekend of the year

What an exciting few days we've got on the horizon.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 22nd August 2024

An annual travel warning has been issued ahead of what is always one of Manchester’s “busiest” weekends of the year.

Greater Manchester‘s social calendar is never any more packed than it is on August bank holiday weekend, and 2024 is set to be absolutely no different – with Manchester Pride, Bolton Food & Drink Festival, Festa Italiana, major gigs at Wythenshawe Park, Peter at the AO Arena, and loads of other exciting fringe events on the lineup this weekend.

That’s not all either, as it’s also a big weekend for sport too, as Premier League football returns to the Etihad Stadium when Manchester City face Ipswich Town, as well as Test cricket at Old Trafford for England vs Sri Lanka.

So, as you can see, we’ve got a pretty hectic few days on the horizon… and along with that comes thousands of people travelling into Manchester city centre and across the wider borough.

With an influx of people expected, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has, unsurprisingly, done what it does every year and issued a travel warning, urging passengers to “plan ahead” if they want to avoid delays with the number of different events taking place over the next four days.

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Saturday is set to be the “busiest day”, according to TfGM, with the cricket, football, annual Manchester Pride Parade, Peter Kay, and New Order at Wythenshawe Park all happening on this day, so in this instance, the region’s transport provider is reminding people that the tram is the best way to travel in and out of the city.

On top of this, TfGM is also “strongly advising” against driving into the city centre, due to a number of road closures that will be in place over the weekend.

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There will be several road closures and parking suspensions around Wythenshawe Park over the weekend, with New Order and Blossoms headlining the Saturday and Sunday night events respectively, and more details for this can be found on TfGM’s dedicated Wythenshawe Park webpage, while everything you need to know about the two gigs can be found here:

TfGM has issued its annual travel warning ahead of Manchester’s ‘busiest’ weekend of the year / Credit: TfGM

On the Sunday for Blossoms, a dedicated shuttle bus service will operate between Stockport Interchange and Wythenshawe Park – with buses leaving the interchange every 10 minutes from 4pm, and following the concert, services will run to Stockport until the site is clear (approximately 1am).

Trams will be running with a 15-minute frequency across the whole Metrolink network, and 7.5 minute frequency for the weekend events.

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“This bank holiday weekend is shaping up to be a busy one with lots of fantastic events happening across Greater Manchester,” commented Fran Wilkinson, who is TfGM’s Customer and Growth Director.

“While you’re heading out for a good time, we’ll be here to keep you moving and make sure you can get where you need to be, so if you are heading to one of the many fantastic events this weekend, we’d urge you to plan ahead to make your journey as smoothly as possible.

“But most importantly, we hope everyone has a great time.”

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More general travel information about the bank holiday weekend can be found on TfGM’s dedicated webpage here.

Featured Image – TfGM

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Police confirm man was arrested ‘on suspicion of making an explosive device’ in Gay Village

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The cordon in place on Canal Street

Police have confirmed that the man who was detained in the midst of an incident in the Gay Village yesterday was arrested on suspicion of making an ‘explosive device’.

A huge cordon was in place in the Canal Street area in the city centre on Monday 11 May, after members of the public reported a ‘chemical smell’ coming from a hotel at around 10.45am.

Emergency services attended the scene and found chemical substances in a hotel room.

The man, who was believed to be the occupant of the hotel room, was detained at the scene.

Greater Manchester Police have since confirmed that he was ‘detained on suspicion of making an explosive device’ and was taken into custody for questioning.

In an update shared yesterday, they wrote: “The response to the incident on Canal Street in Manchester city centre is being reduced following reports of chemical substances being found.

“Emergency services examined items within a room inside a hotel following calls from the public at about 10:45am.

“A man, believed to be the occupant of the room, was detained on suspicion of making an explosive device and is currently in custody being questioned.

“Chemical substances found in the room have been examined and are in the process of being safely removed. The subsequent examination ruled out any explosive risk.

“We are working with the hotel management to return the establishment to normal after staff and guests were evacuated as a precaution.

“Staff from the fire service’s Hazardous Materials and Environmental Protection team remain in attendance to conduct tests and ensure the area is safe.

“We would like to thank the public and surrounding businesses for their patience as we continue with our work.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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No trams to run on major Greater Manchester line for two weeks as part of £150m improvement works

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant A Metrolink tram in Manchester city centre

Major disruption is on the horizon, as no trams are set to run on a major Greater Manchester line for two weeks this month.

As the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network gets under way this month, essential track replacement work is set to be be carried out in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.

Due to improvement works on the Oldham-Rochdale line – which is being carried out between Monsall and Newton Heath & Moston – there will be no trams between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale town centre for two weeks, starting from this Saturday 16 May right through to Friday 29 May.

The work being carried out will involve replacing sections of track and improving drainage along the route.

The track foundation will also be replaced where needed, as well as work to correct the alignment and level of the track.

No trams will be running on a major Greater Manchester line for two weeks from this weekend / Credit: TfGM

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has conceded that this is a ‘big and complex job’ – with 290 new concrete sleepers and 2,000 tonnes of pea gravel being used, and more than 5,000 tonnes of ballast set to be replaced.

But, when the work is done, it’s aiming to make journeys ‘smoother and more reliable’ for passengers, while improving the condition of the track for the long-term.

While the work is being carried out and the line is closed, bus replacement services will be in place between Victoria and Rochdale Town Centre, and more frequent Bee Network bus services will also call at the bus stops near each tram stop too, however tram tickets will only be accepted on the replacement bus, not on numbered bus services.

Elsewhere, work at Derker will also take place at the same to ‘minimise disruption’.

The track was made safe following a landslip in summer 2024, but now, a longer-term solution will see teams drive steel sheets into the ground to hold it in place and prevent further movement, before further work will be needed later in the year to complete the job.

And to top it off, from Monday 25 to Friday 29 May, improvement work to update equipment that has been in place since the line opened in 1992 will also take place at Piccadilly Gardens, and that means no trams will run between St Peter’s Square/Market Street and Piccadilly during this time.

Customers may need to change trams, take a short walk, or hop on the free bus to continue their journey.

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Tram services will resume as normal from the start of service on Saturday 30 May, and passengers travelling during this period are urged to ‘plan ahead’.

Everything you need to know about the planned works is on the TfGM website here.

Featured Image – Janus Boye

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