Manchester City fans are facing a travel nightmare for next month's FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool.
A thumping 4-1 win over Southampton on Sunday, followed by Liverpool's more nervy 1-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest, has set up an intriguing showdown between the two Premier League title rivals at Wembley in three weeks' time. London-based pair Chelsea and Crystal Palace face off in the other tie.
The dates and kick-off times of each game are yet to be confirmed, but fans looking to make the trip to the home of English football are already at the mercy of train line closures. There are no direct trains between either Manchester and Liverpool and London.
READ MORE: Extortionate train fares and ridiculous kick-off times - following Man City has never been harder
Engineering works at various locations between London Euston and Milton Keynes Central stations mean that all interconnecting lines are closed, including the Avanti West Coast line between Manchester Piccadilly and Euston. Trains from Piccadilly will terminate at Milton Keynes and run via Stoke-on-Trent. Liverpool supporters will face a similar problem, with Avanti West Coast services from Liverpool Lime Street terminating at Rugby.
As a result, a journey that would ordinarily take less than two hours and 15 minutes is now estimated to take at least an hour more and up to four hours in total. Prices may also prove more costly due to the increased number of train changes involved.
The Saturday semi-final has in recent years been held at 5.30pm, with the Sunday kick-off around the same time. A quick look on website Trainline shows that the quickest train journey to get fans from Manchester to London on Saturday, April 16, show options going via Sheffield or Banbury, with travel times ranging from three hours and 18 minutes to just shy of four hours.
A single from Piccadilly is currently priced at £68.60 for a one-way ticket. Not all train times have been confirmed but you can purchase a Super Off-Peak return now at £94.50.
Returning on the same day via public transport is impossible, with the last train leaving London to arrive in Manchester before the following morning departs at around 7.30pm, bang on full-time. You would have to leave the game at half-time, and even then would need minimal delays to catch it.
The increase in journey time and ticket price as a result of the disruption means that some may have to seek alternative travel arrangements. Coaches are an option - and more affordable than the train - but even the fastest direct National Express and Megabus services take over four hours to get from Manchester to London.
Driving is another option, but the cost of fuel - at an all-time high - and parking, plus the exertion of eight hours of driving, make this an unappealing option, along with the need to find accommodation overnight or drive back through the night. The bottom line is that supporters are once again on the receiving end of a raw deal through no fault of their own.
Rail engineering works are a necessity, and according to National Rail their annual bank holiday railway improvements were planned over two years ago. In fact, a rail industry source has told the MEN that the FA were informed of the planned work in November 2019, and were written to by National Rail in September 2021 after the semi-final dates were scheduled.
Remarkably, it appears that the FA knew about the disrupted rail services for over two years and were even reminded about it, but decided not to act. They did not put the fans first.
Watching your team play at Wembley should be one of the highlights of the season, regardless of the result at full-time. Unfortunately, both City and Liverpool fans will be up against it to even get there.
Sign up to our City newsletter so you never miss an update from the Etihad Stadium this season.
