Technical Assistant
AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021
AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021 Manchester set for its busiest weekend of the year with people urged to ‘plan ahead’
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is gearing up for what’s set to be its busiest weekend of the year, and people traveling into the city centre are being urged to ‘plan ahead’.
It’s officially a month to go until Christmas Day is here, and with the festive countdown now well under way, especially with Black Friday coming up at the end of this week (28 November) too, shoppers will be eager to bag a bargain and get some Christmas gifts for their loved ones – heading to the city centre shops or Christmas Markets.
This weekend, and Saturday (29 November) in particular, is traditionally one of the busiest of the year, and even saw the highest footfall in the city centre last year.
As well as people heading to the city centre to shop, there are also several other events happening across the weekend.
Manchester City host Leeds in a 3pm kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, while Bad Omens, and Sonny Fodera play Co-op Live on Friday and Saturday night respectively, while Wolf Alice are also set to return to Manchester for a Black Friday performance at the AO Arena.
ADVERTISEMENT
Manchester city centre is set for one of its busiest weekends of the year with Black Friday shopping, festive markets, football at the Etihad, and major gigs at Co-op Live and AO Arena.
— Bee Network (@BeeNetwork) November 24, 2025
To keep the city moving, We're offering:
✔ Park & Ride carparks with shuttle buses
✔… pic.twitter.com/zy0bnWCDDw
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Manchester City Council, and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are all working together to manage the volume of people expected into the city centre this weekend – but even despite their efforts, people are still being urged to plan ahead, especially when it comes to transport.
Anyone looking to beat the traffic is encouraged to make use of the Bee Network, with trams and buses being both the quickest and cheapest way to travel this weekend.
ADVERTISEMENT
TfGM says roads are expected to be ‘very busy’ during peak times this weekend, so it’s important that anyone planning to make their way into the city centre by vehicle avoid the busiest periods if they can.
The busiest times are predicted to be 3pm to 7pm on Friday, 4pm to 9pm on Saturday, and 3pm to 6:30pm on Sunday.
Some of the extra measures currently in place to help people get in an around the city centre this week include free pop-up park and ride services, later trams and all-night buses, dedicated matchday shuttle buses, and changes at key locations to help improve congestion.
It’s also worth noting that some TfGM staff are currently taking part in strike action until this Friday (28 November) meaning some facilities – such as ticket offices and toilets – may be closed, however bus and tram services will run as normal.
“The countdown to Christmas is now in full swing and Black Friday weekend is always sure to be one of the busiest times of the year for the city centre,” commented Danny Vaughan, who is TfGM’s Chief Network Officer.
“Public transport will be the best way to get around, save money, and avoid getting stuck in traffic [which is why] we’re providing 1,000 additional parking spaces with our pop-up park and rides, putting on late night services, and running as many buses and trams as we possibly can.
Read more:
- Everything you need to know about Manchester Christmas Markets 2025
- Manchester’s magical Christmas Parade is back to take over city centre again for 2025
- Pop-up park and rides announced to manage ‘sheer volume’ of people travelling to Manchester city centre
“We want to help people enjoy everything the season has to offer, so please remember to plan your journeys and leave yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going.”
Get all the latest travel updates this weekend on the Bee Network website here.
Featured Image – TfGM
Manchester Piccadilly to close for NINE days for ‘once-in-a-generation’ upgrade
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Piccadilly is set to close for nine days for a major ‘once-in-a-generation’ £7.9m upgrade.
The busiest train station in the North West will be almost entirely shut for more than a week next February, to enable improvements to take place to both track and signalling systems on the southern approach.
The work will span all main lines, which means passengers will find no trains from the south or east of the city will run into Manchester Piccadilly.
The main train shed – which is platforms one to 12 – will be closed completely, but the concourse will remain open and so will platforms 13 and 14 for limited westbound services.
Teams will be replacing 11 sets of points, renewing 9,000m of cabling, upgrading timber sleepers with modern concrete equivalents, and bringing lineside equipment bang up to date across six lines – some of which dates back to the 1980s.
Network Rail has said that this investment has been ‘long-awaited’, with the ageing infrastructure capable of disrupting all trains in and out of Manchester.
There will be no trains from the south and east of the city into Manchester Piccadilly for nine days over February half term (Saturday 14 – Sunday 22 February 2026).
Some trains from across the north will also be impacted during the essential upgrades as well as direct connections to Manchester Airport station.
These services will terminate at other stations, including Stockport, with staff on hand across the network to coordinate bus and Metrolink Bee Network journeys.
Alternative travel plans will be released in the coming months by Network Rail, train operators, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Manchester City Council.
Julien Dehornoy, Network Rail’s North West & Central deputy regional managing director, said: “We’re investing £7.9m in renewing the Piccadilly corridor, a stretch of track critical to the journeys of around 400,000 trains into Manchester every year.
“This work is going to significantly reduce disruption for the many passengers who regularly use this route. Once the job is done, we will have a better, more reliable railway.
“The major overhaul over six railway lines can only take place during a full railway closure and we are working closely with train operators, TfGM and Manchester City Council on alternative travel plans to keep people on the move, the full details on which will be published in mid-November.”
Simon Elliott, Network Director Rail at TfGM, said: “This investment in Manchester Piccadilly’s rail infrastructure is a crucial step forward in delivering a reliable and resilient railway for passengers, freight and supporting the city-region’s continued economic growth.
“While unfortunately there will be some short-term disruption due to the nature of the works, through the Bee Network we’re committed to working with rail industry colleagues to ensure people can still move easily across Greater Manchester while these essential upgrades take place.”
A spokesperson for train operators said: “This work will improve the reliability of trains running into the region’s busiest station.
“In the coming months, passengers can expect more detailed information about their specific journeys and any potential disruption.
“We would urge people to check with their operator or with National Rail Enquiries to plan their travel in advance.”
Featured image: The Manc Group
More
Audio
Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute
Eats