Passengers are being urged to plan their journeys and allow more time to travel this weekend.
As the penultimate shopping weekend before Christmas and with several events taking place in and around the city centre, highways and transport networks are expected to be busier than normal.
No trains will run between Manchester and Bolton on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December, while new tracks are brought in to be used through the new tunnel at Farnworth. Bus replacement services will be in operation during the closure.
This work will allow services between Manchester and Bolton to return to a full timetable from Monday 14 December, although there will be a speed restriction in place until further work in the New Year.
The M62 motorway will be closed between junction 19 at Heywood and junction 20 at Oldham from 9pm on Saturday until 10am on Sunday. This is part of work to remove unsuitable overhead gantries as part of the £202m smart motorway scheme.
There are also several big events taking place over the weekend. At the Manchester Arena, Key 103’s Christmas Live event will take place on Friday night, followed by Simply Red’s homecoming gig on Saturday, while Manchester City’s home match against Swansea will kick off at 3pm on Saturday, meaning public transport and roads will be busy.
The Manchester Christmas Markets are still running while city centre shops and the Trafford Centre are expected to be busy once more as Christmas Day gets closer.
Rail passengers and motorists are also being reminded that Deansgate Railway Station will be closed from 6pm on Friday and Saturday while the Mancunian Way is still reduced to a two-lane contraflow, with a 20mph speed limit.
On Saturday and Sunday, Metrolink passengers travelling into the city on the Bury line and back again will be able to travel using valid heavy rail tickets.
John Fryer, Events Manager for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), said: “This is a significant and exciting weekend for the region with some big sporting and musical events taking place, Christmas fast approaching and the closing stages of a major rail improvement project taking place.
“However, this is expected to make the road and public transport networks busier than usual so, once again, we would encourage anyone heading out to plan their journey in advance and give themselves extra travel time.
“And if you’re out late into the evening please check the last train, tram and bus operating times to ensure you can get home safely.
“Throughout the festive season we’ll have plenty of staff in and around the city centre to say hello and provide travel information and advice.
“People can also follow our social media accounts for the latest information affecting travel or sign up to our weekly email alert, covering major events and planned changes affecting roads, buses, trains and trams.”
For the latest information regarding rail services visit www.nationalrail.co.uk; for specific Manchester Piccadilly station information visit www.facebook.com/manchesterpiccadilly or follow @NetworkRailMAN
For travel advice and help with journey planning visit www.tfgm.com call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 (calls cost 12p per minute plus any network charges) and follow @OfficialTfGM and @MCRMetrolink on Twitter.
TfGM has launched a weekly Travel Update email subscription service to help people plan journeys in Greater Manchester.
Metrolink
Metrolink will be running fast and frequent services across the network during the festive period, with more information at www.metrolink.co.uk/christmas.
For football fans travelling on Saturday, the nearest Metrolink stop to the stadium is the Etihad Campus stop on the Ashton Line.
There are fast and frequent services from Victoria and Piccadilly to Ashton, with journeys to the Etihad Campus stop just ten minutes from the city centre.
There are also free Park & Ride sites on the Ashton line, offering a cost effective and convenient way of reaching the stadium. The closest car parks to the venue are:
• Ashton Moss (200 spaces) on Alexandria Drive, Ashton, OL6 7UB
• Ashton West (194 spaces) Ashton West, Lord Sheldon Way, Ashton OL7 0PG
Parking at these sites is free for Metrolink customers during hours of service. You can also Park & Ride from some train stations.
There’s more information on the Park & Ride webpage where you see all the sites and plan your journey there.
Visit the Metrolink website at www.metrolink.co.uk for travel advice, including a network map.
Follow @MCRMetrolink on Twitter for live travel advice, or call Metrolink Customer services on 0161 205 2000.
Bus
For travel to the Etihad catch a bus from Manchester city centre to the Etihad. Services 216 and 231 are all within walking distance of the ground. Visit www.tfgm.com/bustimetables
Roads
Road users are advised to allow longer for travel as part of the Mancunian Way is reduced to a two-lane contraflow, with a 20mph speed limit. Visit the Manchester City Council website for more information.
Follow @HighwaysNWEST on Twitter for travel advice or visit http://www.highways.gov.uk/traffic-information/
Rail
Northern Rail have announced that, due to the volume of people expected to be travelling to the Christmas markets, Deansgate Railway Station will be closed from 6pm every Friday and Saturday between 14 November and 19 December.
Northern Rail is advising passengers to use Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria or Salford Central instead. The nearby Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink stop will be open as usual.
Northern and First TransPennine Express will be providing additional carriages on certain rail services at weekends during the Christmas Markets.
Plan your journey or check how your train service is running at www.nationalrail.co.uk or by calling National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50.
