Greater Manchester residents have been warned to ‘travel smart’ this weekend, with the huge Manchester Marathon 2024 taking place.
There’ll be plenty of road closures around the region to facilitate the event, which will see around 32,000 runners pounding the pavements throughout south Manchester.
Taking place on Sunday 14 April, the 26.2 mile race will also attract thousands of spectators.
Some road closures will be in place across the weekend, and people have been warned that roads and public transport will both be busier than normal.
TfGM is expecting the network in Manchester and Trafford to be very busy before, during and after the race.
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Many bus services will be diverted and there may be displaced traffic and congestion.
TfGM has also said that the tram will be the best way to travel to the event, whether you’re one of the brave souls running or just going to cheer them on.
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There’ll be a seven-and-a-half minute frequency of Metrolink services along the Altrincham line, with extra double trams to handle increased capacity.
The Manchester Marathon 2024 route will start below the Trafford Arch before heading into the city centre, then will pass through Sale, Altrincham, Timperley, Chorlton and Hulme, before reaching the finish line near the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground.
Road closures and travel advice have been shared ahead of the Manchester Marathon 2024. Credit: TfGM
Mancs have been asked to ‘travel smart’ and leave cars at home, using park and ride services to reach the route on trams.
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There’s a dedicated travel page for the Manchester Marathon 2024, and the Bee Network app will also have live departures and travel alerts.
Fran Wilkinson, customer and growth director at TfGM, said: “The Manchester Marathon is always a fantastic occasion. We wish everyone taking part the best of luck and are looking forward to helping runners and spectators get to and from the event as smoothly as possible.
“It’s sure to be a busy day and we’d encourage anyone travelling on Sunday – whether their trip is for the marathon or other reasons – to please check our dedicated webpage for how your journey may be impacted by road closures, bus diversions and busy periods.
“To avoid congestion and for a more enjoyable trip, consider jumping on the tram and using a contactless payment for a fast and efficient way to travel. Park and Ride sites also provide a free place to park before completing your journey on the tram to the race.
“If you are coming as a spectator, why not avoid the busy start and finish points and cheer on your runner from one of the lovely places along the route – whether that’s Sale, Altrincham, Chorlton or somewhere else- and enjoy what south Manchester has to offer?
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“All the areas along the route are served by tram stops and it’s more likely you’ll be able to get from A to B more easily.”
You can see the full list of road closures for the Manchester Marathon here.
The Manchester Marathon 2024 travel map, including road closures
No trams to run on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
People are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as no trams are set to run on three major Greater Manchester Metrolink lines this weekend.
As part of a continuing £150 million investment in the Metrolink network across the region, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that more than 1km of track will be replaced on the Altrincham line, and work will also take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield to prepare for full track replacement later in the year.
As a result, there will be no trams on the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this Easter bank holiday weekend all day from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April.
On top of these line closures, there is also set to be disruption across other parts of the network too, as on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines, trams will run to Firswood only, and services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.
To keep people moving over the four-day weekend, replacement buses will run between all the affected stops, TfGM has confirmed.
Anyone using a replacement bus, however, will still need a valid Metrolink ticket or a one-day Bee bus ticket to travel, and customers will be able to use all existing options to buy these, as they will not be able to buy a ticket or pay for the fare on the replacement buses themselves.
No trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM
Replacement buses are said to be calling at ‘all affected stops’ along the lines, so customers are being told not to worry about that.
Speaking ahead of the improvement works being carried out this weekend, Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, said: “The first main upgrades of the year get under way over the Easter weekend, as our £150m programme to improve our network continues.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers while we carry out this essential work to ensure our tram network remains reliable, resilient and safe for years to come.”
TfGM has assured that staff will be out and on-hand across the network this weekend, but is urging anyone travelling to plan for their journeys ahead of time to make sure they go as smoothly as possible.
Looking ahead to the rest of the month, no trams will run between Piccadilly Gardens and Ashton-under-Lyne on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April while the track is repaired, and a further weekend closure for track repairs on the Ashton line will take place on Saturday 25 April and Sunday 26 April.
Find out more and plan ahead on the Bee Network’s dedicated webpage here.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
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Three men arrested after ‘shocking’ Salford pub fight leaves victim in life-threatening condition
Emily Sergeant
Three men have been arrested as police continue to appeal following a ‘shocking’ incident in Salford over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at around 2:51am yesterday (Sunday 29 March), officers were called to reports of an assault at a pub on Liverpool Road in Irlam, where it’s understood that an incident involving several males took place.
Police quickly attended the scene, and one male was rushed to hospital.
The man sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, where he’s said to remain in a life-threatening condition.
While officers are working ‘at speed’ on their investigation to establish the full circumstances of this incident, a scene is currently in place, and road closures are affecting the immediate area.
At this time, it has been confirmed that three men – all in their 20s – have been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault, and they remain in custody for further questioning while GMP renews its public appeal for information.
“This is a shocking incident and our thoughts are firmly with the victim and his family during this extremely difficult time,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Helen Bagnall, from GMP’s Salford district. “We are working at pace and remain absolutely committed to identifying everyone involved and bringing those responsible to justice.
“Three arrests have been made in connection with this incident, and we are continuing to appeal for further information.
“Officers remain committed to understand the full circumstances and are urging anyone with information to come forward to support our investigation.”
Can you help? A dedicated online Major Incident Public Portal has been set up, and information, CCTV, dashcam, doorbell, and phone images and footage can be submitted here, or you can also contact police on 101, quoting log 256 of 29/03/26.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Daisy Jackson -
10th April 2024 
