TfGM encourages planning ahead for festive journeys

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is encouraging people travelling in the city-region during the festive period, whether to meet with family and friends or heading to events in the city centre.

Whilst buses and trams will keep moving around the city-region, some services changes are planned in between Christmas and New Year. Specific measures are also being put in place to help manage busier days in Manchester city centre.

On Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 December, the city plays host to Peter Kay at the AO Arena, the final weekend of the Christmas markets, and Manchester United’s home game against Bournemouth. Whilst roads will be busy and public transport is a good choice for many, those needing to drive can take advantage of temporary pop-up Park and Ride spaces near Oxford Road on both days, with free parking on Cecil Street for customers who  buy a ticket to travel by bus into the city centre from nearby Oxford Road.

From Monday 23 December to Thursday 2 January, there will be changes to operating times across public transport and supporting services, including the Bee Network Customer Contact Centre and ticket offices. The full festive timetable can be found on the Transport for Greater Manchester website. TfGM will be enhancing its Match Day Buses on Boxing Day as Manchester City face Everton at the Etihad.

With thousands of people expected to attend a spectacular fire display in St Peter’s Square, no trams will travel through St Peter’s Square after 8pm and service changes will be introduced on other Metrolink lines. Shuttle buses will run every 15 minutes between St Peter’s Square and Deansgate-Castlefield between 8pm and 1am. Elsewhere, night buses on the 36 and V1 routes will also run on New Year’s Eve.

Alongside changes to buses and trams, rail passengers will also face disruption as engineering works are carried out across the network nationwide. In Stockport, work will also begin on a £16 million project to replace the Greek Street bridge over the railway line in the town centre.

Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s Chief Network Officer, said: 

“Public transport will keep Greater Manchester moving over the next few weeks. It’s a great, affordable option for people visiting loved ones or making the most of the shops, bars, restaurants and events in the city centre.

 “There’ll some bus and tram service changes over Christmas and New Year, so we’re encouraging people to check the timetables in advance when planning their festive trips out.

“As we see every year, there’s days that are busier – with football fixtures and New Year’s Eve celebrations drawing big crowds. Where possible, we’re putting specific measures in place to help ease people’s journeys, from a pop-up Park and Ride for the last weekend before Christmas, to bespoke match day buses, New Year’s Eve shuttles, and night buses to help people get around over the coming weeks.

“Looking forward, all Greater Manchester’s buses will come under local control as part of the Bee Network from 5 January. It not only means everyone will experience cheaper and simpler fares when getting on any Bee Network bus anywhere in the city region, but we’ll also have even more flexibility to respond to demand at busy times.”