Commuters are being warned to plan ahead and expect disruption on Friday (28 April) as staff on Northern rail services hold a one-day strike.
Most Northern services are not expected to run and any that do operate, working to a revised timetable, will be extremely busy.
All public transport and Greater Manchester’s roads are expected to be busier, especially at peak morning and evening times, with key commuter routes forecast to face the most pressure as people affected by the strike make alternative arrangements.
Numbers travelling will also likely increase as Friday marks the start of the May Bank Holiday weekend.
Transport for Greater Manchester, which is helping to co-ordinate the region’s response, is urging people to plan ahead and consider carefully their travel arrangements.
It is working to support Northern’s own customer communications effort and has created a special travel information page on its website to help keep Greater Manchester commuters on the move: tfgm.com/industrial-action.
TfGM’s Events and Operational Coordination Manager, John Fryer, said: “We are taking action to minimise the disruption to the transport network but we know there will still be problems.
“Commuters can play their part to minimise these and our advice is simple: plan ahead, be prepared, and think about all your travel choices.
“Can you travel at a different time or does your employer allow you to work from home? If you can travel at a quieter time, or in a different way – by bus, tram, bike, foot or a mixture – it can make a massive improvement not just to your journey but to people who simply don’t have a choice.”
