Those heading into Manchester this weekend are being urged to plan ahead for what’s expected to be the busiest travel day of the year so far.
More than 300,000 people are set to descend on the city’s major events venues this week from Wednesday right through until Sunday (31 May – 4 June) to see some of the world’s biggest music artists take to the stage – with Coldplay taking over the Etihad Stadium, Arctic Monkeys at Emirates Old Trafford, and Sir Elton John at the AO Arena.
Not only that, but thousands more will also be making their way to the free festival, We Invented the Weekend, at MediaCityUK and Salford Quays on Saturday and Sunday.
But despite it being one of the busiest periods the Greater Manchester events calendar has seen all year so far, music lovers and festivalgoers have a whole host of rail strikes to battle with.
📣 It's a busy time for Manchester over the coming week! Here is a brief overview of what's to come:
– Rail strikes – Coldplay at the Etihad – Arctic Monkeys at Emirates Old Trafford – Elton John at AO Arena
As part of what is an ongoing battle between the Government and rail unions RMT and Aslef over pay, pensions, and working conditions, coordinated days of industrial action are planned on the railways nationwide for Wednesday 31 May, Friday 2, and Saturday 3 June – with train timetables and operating hours set to be “significantly affected”.
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And if all of that disruption wasn’t enough as it is, the strike action on Saturday also coincides with the first-ever Manchester Derby FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United, with around 90,000 fans due to make the journey to watch the match live inside Wembley, and thousands more expected to travel to the capital to soak in the atmosphere.
Coldplay and Arctic Monkeys are set to play several massive shows in Manchester this week / Credit: Coldplay (via Instagram) | Arctic Monkeys (via Instagram)
In preparation for all these major events taking place, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has issued travel advice and is strongly encouraging people to “plan ahead”.
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TfGM is advising that people use the Metrolink as this will be the “quickest and most-reliable way” of travelling in and around the city centre across the weekend.
Drivers are being “strongly advised” not to drive into the city centre, with congestion expected in the city centre and on the Inner Ring Road across the weekend – but those who have no option but to drive are asked to add “a significant amount of additional time” to their journeys.
Sir Elton John is arriving in Manchester as part of the final tour of his career / Credit: Elton John (via Instagram)
Sean Dyball, TfGM’s Head of Customer Experience, says they are preparing for “one of the busiest periods of the year” this weekend.
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“We are expecting major congestion on Saturday and we strongly encourage anyone travelling into the city centre to plan ahead and allow sufficient time for their journeys,” he added.
“Throughout the weekend we will be constantly updating the customer information available on our website and across our social media channels to help people make informed journey choices so they can save them time and avoid disruption.”
Dedicated travel guidance for each of the events happening this week can be found on TfGM’s website.
‘Groundbreaking’ new police team launches on Bee Network to make it one of the safest in the world
Emily Sergeant
A ‘groundbreaking’ new policing model aimed at making the Bee Network one of the safest public transport networks in the world has launched.
Described as being ‘pioneering’, the first-of-its-kind approach – named the Transport Policing and Crime Command (TPACC) – will bring Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) even closer together to tackle crime, antisocial behaviour, and safety issues across the region’s transport network.
So, how will it work then? Well, according to TfGM, the command will ‘effectively establish’ the Bee Network as GMP’s eleventh policing district.
It will bring together up to 300 personnel, including new police officers, who are all involved in keeping the network safe and providing greater reassurance to passengers travelling across the region.
Efforts to keep passengers safe on buses, trams, active travel routes, and roads across Greater Manchester will be ‘strengthened’ through the new team – improving co-ordination in response to incidents, and helping to reassure communities.
A ‘groundbreaking’ new police team has launched on the Bee Network to make it one of the safest in the world / Credit: TfGM
The new team will also incorporate the existing Roads Policing Unit within GMP that includes specialist functions such as the Central Ticket Office, the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit, the motorbike unit, the Commercial Vehicle Unit, the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, and more.
Overall, the key focus of TPACC is to:
Increase public confidence on safety across the transport network
Reduce violence, antisocial behaviour and criminality across the transport network
Increase the number of users of the Bee Network across Greater Manchester
The launch of TPACC is said to represents ‘the next phase’ of Greater Manchester’s commitment to creating a ‘safer, more secure, and more welcoming’ transport network for everyone who lives, works, and travels across the region.
“I want a world-class Bee Network where everyone feels safe,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“Our new dedicated transport policing command will bring together more than 300 police and safety officers, with high-profile patrols across our roads and the Bee Network. It means a stronger presence in our communities and faster action when people need help.
“TPACC will also crack down on dangerous driving to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads, which have devastating consequences for families and communities.”
Featured Image – TfGM
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Two arrested after assaulting and burgling 90-year-old woman in Stockport suburb
Emily Sergeant
Two people have been arrested following reports of an assault and burglary at a 90-year-old woman’s home in a Stockport suburb.
While en-route to the incident in Heald Green – which was reported to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at around 2:30am on 29 October – officers located the victim’s vehicle being driven by an unknown man.
The stolen vehicle made off from police before it lost control, went up a grass verge, and collided with a stationary vehicle.
Police confirmed that a white British man, aged 41, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of a burglary and serious assault, while a white British woman, aged 47, was also later arrested on suspicion of burglary and serious assault – with both remaining in custody for questioning.
The victim, a 90-year-old woman, was taken to hospital for treatment and is being supported by specialist officers, although luckily, her injuries are not life-threatening.
Enquiries are now ongoing, and officers are working to establish the full circumstances of the shocking incident.
“This was undoubtedly a traumatic experience for the victim, and we have specialist officers supporting her through this investigation,” explained Detective Inspector Craig Turner, from Stockport CID.
“This was a violent burglary and thanks to the brave victim reporting it, our officers made two swift arrests with the suspects taken into police custody to be interviewed.
“We believe this was a targeted attack and there is no wider risk to the community. Extra patrols of officers have been deployed to the area to offer reassurance to members of the community. Please let them know if you have any concerns.
“We are committed to tackling dangerous offenders and keeping our communities safe from harm.”
Emily Sergeant -
30th May 2023 
