Commuters and travellers in Greater Manchester should allow more time for their journeys next week with bus and rail staff set to take industrial action.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has prepared travel advice ahead of the strike action which is planned for Monday 6 and Wednesday 8 November.
Areas and services set to be affected include:
- On Monday: First Bus services operating from the Rusholme depot
- On Monday and Wednesday: Arriva North West bus services in Bolton and Trafford
- On Wednesday: Northern Rail (Arriva Rail North) services.
No Northern Rail services will run before 7am and after 7pm on Wednesday and there will be a reduced service between these times. The majority of Arriva North West bus services are also not expected to run. The First Bus strike is not expected to have a significant impact as it only affects a small number of services.
For more information about the industrial action please visit:
Alternative rail routes and roads and the Metrolink are expected to be busier on affected days as passengers change their journeys, particularly in the morning and evening peaks.
TfGM’s Events and Operational Co-ordination Manager, Ryan Carter, said: “We are taking action to reduce disruption to the transport network as best we can, but we know it will still be very busy.
“Our advice is to plan ahead now. Can you travel at a different time, or does your boss allow you to work from home? Can you get into work a different way – by bus, tram, bike or foot? It could not only get you from A to B faster but help other people who simply don’t have a choice.
“We will be working hard on the affected days to monitor the situation and will be doing everything we can to keep Greater Manchester moving including having as many Metrolink trams in service as possible.”
TfGM has taken action locally to help people who have to travel on the days of the strike, including;
- Ensuring as many Metrolink trams as possible will be in service
- Deploying additional staff on Metrolink and at key bus stations to help commuters
- Publicising various park and ride sites to allow customers to complete their journeys by different transport options
- Working with bus and other train operators to maximise capacity across the network, particularly on the busiest commuter corridors
- Enhanced monitoring at its network control centre so traffic flows can be optimised by altering signal timing
- Working with local highway authorities to temporarily suspend roadworks where possible on the region’s main commuter routes.
For information on public transport across Greater Manchester visit www.tfgm.com, call 0161 244 1000 (7am-8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am-8pm at weekends and bank holidays) or follow @OfficialTfGM on Twitter.
