In more worrying news for commuters — and extremely alarming news if you’re a Manchester United or Man City fan — train drivers have announced more train strikes, including one on the day of the FA Cup final.
If you listen closely, you can hear more than half of Manchester audibly gulping.
As the long-running dispute over pay for train drivers continues to rumble on, transport union Aslef (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) have confirmed another raft of strikes, with the first commencing on 3 June, the same day as the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
With thousands of United and City fans set to travel down to watch the historic game — the first time the conclusion of the competition has even been a Manchester derby — a truly indispensable form of public transport is once again timing its strikes to show just how important they are.
While RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) union members finally voted to accept the latest offer for increased pay from Network Rail last month, Aslef said the latest offer in negotiations with the Rail Delivery Group on Wednesday was “risible”.
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He said the proposal — which is separate from the RMT‘s own pay disputes — was “clearly not designed to be accepted” with inflation still above 10%, not to mention a nationwide cost of living crisis.
“The blame for this action lies, fairly and squarely, at the feet of the employers who have forced our hand over this by their intransigence,” Mr Whelan said.
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The train strikes will commence on 12 May, followed by another on 31 May and then during FA Cup final day on 3 June.
Train drivers are also withdrawing non-contractual overtime from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 May inclusive, as well as on Saturday 13 May and Thursday 1 June.
As a result, some 13,000 drivers are expected to take industrial action over the course of three days of strikes, meaning staffing along the UK’s rail network will be severely depleted and there’ll be essentially no way of getting from Manchester to London by train.
Fans were already raising concerns over how they were going to get down there, and safely given the obvious rivalry and threat of hooliganism, with Avanti West Coast stating they had no plans to put on extra services or separate trains for both groups of supporters.
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Safe to say this doesn’t exactly help matters and if clubs were already considering providing extra coaches from Manchester to Wembley/London, the demand for further travel assistance is now likely to be way beyond the amount of resources available.
After months of large-scale action across various sectors including teaching, health, postal services and many more, it looks like there still isn’t quite light at the end of the tunnel and we wouldn’t be surprised if even more train strikes are set to follow.
Greens hasn’t shared as much detail about its Sale closure.
Simon Rimmer’s Greens restaurant in Sale has announced its immediate closure. Credit: The Manc Group
They wrote: “It is with deep regret that the board of directors and shareholders have decided to close the doors permanently on Greens Sale with immediate effect.
“We’ve done everything possible to make this work, but it is now clear the business is untenable.
“We’d like to thank everyone, team members & guests, who have been on the Greens journey with us.”
It’s another blow to the Manchester’s famous vegan and vegetarian restaurant scene, which has lost the likes of Wholesome Junkies, Vurger Co, and V Rev all shutting down in the last couple of years.
Wholesome Junkies shut down because of ‘skyrocketing costs’, writing at the time of their closure in July: “The figures just don’t add up, it’s no joke and it’s devastating the hospitality industry.”
Northern blocks access to dating apps and websites on-board trains
Emily Sergeant
Access to dating apps and websites is now blocked on-board trains travelling across the north, it has been revealed.
Northern says there’s “good reason” for taking this decision.
This is because the WiFi provided by the train operator on-board its services travelling across the north of England is delivered under the ‘Friendly WiFi’ scheme, which blocks access to certain categories of content – including those associated with dating.
Websites and apps related to video streaming, gambling, alcohol, adult content, pornography, and nudity are also blocked.
Northern has blocked access to dating apps and websites on-board its trains / Credit: Northern
The company says ‘Friendly WiFi’ – which it has been signed up to since 2017 – ensures its on-board internet service meets “minimum filtering standards” given the fact that children could be present around passengers at all times.
The decision to ban dating apps and websites comes after Northern also urged passengers to stop viewing content that’s “not suitable for work” on its trains and stations in Greater Manchester and beyond, and pleaded for them to “wait until you get home” instead.
Content that Northern considers ‘NSFW’ can range from inappropriate jokes and bad language, right through to offensive topics and explicit material.
The train operator has explained the “good reason” for its decision / Credit: Northern
Northern’s Chief Operating Officer, Matt Rice, said access to “safe and reliable” internet is part of passengers’ expectations.
“Whilst some dating websites and users will operate with appropriate levels of self-moderation, some might not and it’s important that content not suitable for everyone to see or hear, particularly children, isn’t viewed on our trains,” Mr Rice explained.
“It’s simply about ensuring that there is sufficient bandwidth for all our customers to use while they’re on the go.
Danny Jones -
27th April 2023 
