Football fans heading down to Wembley Stadium to watch the FA Cup final are set to face travel chaos as yet more rail strikes are due to hit this weekend.
The most recent wave of walkouts, by RMT and ASLEF union members, will impact railways with cancellations expected, including on Friday and Saturday (June 2 and 3), when Manchester City and Manchester United football fans will be travelling to the capital.
Supporters will face very limited options, because train drivers in the ASLEF union will be among those walking out. This is including drivers for Avanti West Coast, the company which runs services from Manchester to London.
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Fans previously spoke to the Manchester Evening News about the 'ridiculous' strikes which will cause 'mayhem' with desperate calls made for the final to be played elsewhere, as the Manchester United Supporters Trust even urged Government to intervene.
With each club being offered around 30,000 tickets for the final, it will now mean tens of thousands of supporters from Manchester could be making the journey down the M6, sparking new fears of a coach shortage and chaos on the motorways and at service stations.
Members of ASLEF will walk out on May 31 and June 3, the day of the FA Cup Final at Wembley, with 20,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) to walk out on June 2. This will include catering, train managers and station staff take action, affecting train services throughout the country.
Earlier this week, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) urged football fans to consider alternative travel arrangements with no trains expected to run between Manchester and London on the day of the final. It will mean the only other method of transport will be by road.
The FA is operating additional coach services, to and from Wembley Stadium, on Saturday 3 June, in collaboration with both clubs. 60 coaches for both Manchester clubs will be provided by the FA. Radcliffe and East Didsbury Park and Ride sites will be used as coach pick up and drop off points for FA Cup Final coaches travelling to London.
Manchester is already bracing for what is expected to be the 'busiest days of the year so far' with thousands also travelling into the city for Elton John, Arctic Monkeys and Coldplay gigs all on the same day, June 3.
Commuters have even been urged to leave work early or consider working from home between May 31 and June 4 with a number of concerts scheduled for the AO Arena, Etihad stadium and Old Trafford across those dates. Full details here.
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