Southport Passengers to ‘think in threes’ as Manchester Christmas markets return

Passengers using Manchester Piccadilly station are being urged to ‘think in threes’ when the city’s Christmas markets return next week.

Huge numbers are expected to travel in and out of the city by train for the festive event which opens in the new location of Piccadilly Gardens on Friday 12 November and lasts until 22 December.

With bumper crowds expected because last year's event was cancelled, Network Rail is advising rail travellers to follow these three tips for the smoothest journey possible.

• Plan your journey and check before you travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk 
• Take an earlier train home – later services will be extremely busy
• Remember Network Rail's motto of ‘Be safe, be patient, be kind’ when travelling

During 2019’s Christmas market opening weekend more than 400,000 people used Manchester Piccadilly station.

Because the market was cancelled in 2020, this year station staff are expecting large numbers to flock to Manchester for some festive fun.

While the stalls and attractions are a great addition to the city, it can mean trains and platforms are much busier at the station.

As with previous years, queuing systems may be used to safely allow people to board their trains home.

Passengers who can are expected to wear a face covering in busy stations and on trains so everyone can travel in confidence. For the latest Government advice visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus. 

Meanwhile, enhanced cleaning procedures will remain in place to stop the spread of Covid-19, with hand sanitiser on the station concourse.

Kyla Thomas, Network Rail station manager at Manchester Piccadilly, said: “We’ve loved welcoming passengers back to the station over the last few months and the fact the Christmas market is coming back is a huge boost after the tough 18 months we’ve all had.“It means the festive season has started, but it also means the busiest time of the year is here for our station team. To make everyone’s journey as smooth as it can be, I’m urging passengers to follow our three golden rules to make travelling in and out of the city as easy as possible. There will be extra staff in place across the station to provide advice and information and help keep passengers safe throughout the festive season.”

To plan journeys in advance and find out train times home passengers should check www.nationalrail.co.uk.

To find out more about what Network Rail is doing to stop the spread of Covid-19 visit: www.networkrail.co.uk/coronavirus/.