Manchester: Transport schedule changes for buses, Metrolink and trains in Manchester over Christmas 2022

Despite yearly attempts at planning your travels way ahead, Christmas is often one of the most stressful times of the year. Travelling to see family and friends can also easily be affected by holiday schedules and cancellations, and for this holiday season, Manchester will see some major changes in transport schedules over Christmas.

Transport in, to and from Manchester will see some major changes over the Christmas weekend, with a lot, if not all, transport cancelled on Christmas Day and a limited number of services on Boxing Day. For those looking to travel on Christmas Eve, however, you should prepare for high pressure on train tickets and Sunday service times on trams and buses.

With RMT announcing new dates for industrial action, most train services in and around Manchester will be cancelled over Christmas. The strike dates may also affect adjoining dates as early starts and finishes might be affected.

Transport in and around Greater Manchester will be heavily reduced over the Holidays, with many services completely cancelled on Christmas Day and heavily reduced on surrounding days. Here is everything you need to know about transport in Manchester over Christmas 2022.

Transport schedule in Manchester over Christmas 2022

Trains

As the RMT annouce another set of strikes will take place on on December 13-14, 16-17 and December 24 to 27, there will be little to no train services available in the region on these dates.

Buses

December 24: Travel for Greater Manchester (TFGM) have said that buses will operate on a Saturday timetable on December 24, with the last service leaving at 6pm. Please use the bus timetable for more information. The 1 and 2 free bus service will operate until approximately 7pm.

December 25: On Christmas Day all bus services are cancelled. Stagecoach is running special daytime buses on service 43.

December 26: Limited number of buses will run on Boxing day. Special buses will run on these services:

• Arriva: 245, 247 and 320 (Ashton-in-Makerfield - St Helens only).
• Diamond: 8, 20, 22, 36, 37, 126, 132, 163 and 471.
• First: V1 and V2.
• Go North West: 17, 18, 52, 93, 97, 98, 100 and 135.
• Rosso: 468 and 469 (Tottington Line).
• Stagecoach: 23, 42, 43, 50, 76, 85, 86, 101, 118, 192, 201, 202, 203, 216, 219, 250, 256 and 330.
• The Burnley Bus Company: X43.

December 27: Sunday/Bank Holiday service. Please use the bus webpage to plan your journey.

Metrolink

December 24: Metrolink will operate on a Saturday timetable, with the last trams leaving city centre between 8pm and 9pm. You can find the schedule using the Metrolink timetable page.

December 25: There will be no Metrolink service on Christmas Day.

December 26: Metrolink will operate on a Sunday service on Boxing Day. Access to Piccadilly Metrolink stop will be from Fairfield Street only.

December 27: A Sunday service will be in operation, with increased service for the Manchester United v Nottingham Forest Premier League match.

*This article will be updated when additional information is available