Network Rail have let me have the latest information on how the rail network will be affected by works over the Christmas period. Despite the massive programme of upgrades and repairs 90% of the network will be unaffected. That still means there is a chance your travel plans could be affected. For those flying out of Manchester airport Network Rail advise there will be disruption to various routes into the airport between 18th December and 2nd January. On Christmas Eve the last train from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly will depart at 7.20pm.
The best advice is if you are planning to travel over the Christmas and New Year check the times and any planned works.
For more information visit their website at www.networkrail.co.uk/Christmas
David Nuttall 
We as a family need to travel far more humbly. Liverpool would be nice in under one and a half hours. Into Manchester in less than 40 minutes – laughable. Ohh I could use ‘public transport’ – now I need to walk 1 mile to get a bus. I can;t drive to the stop coz some drip has made all the streets I might have left the car in – resident only’. Jeeze talk about the Westminster bubble. I don’t think Mr N you travel around your ‘patch’ at rush hour.
For obvious reasons I do not travel around Bury at peak times as much as regular commuters do I do frequently witness the rush hour traffic. No easy solution. London has congestion charging, Underground etc. but it still has massive traffic problems.
Frankly I would rather you addressed the (chronic) Foreign aid misuse scandal. London’traffic problems do
not help me when walking would be faster on certain Bury roads at the rush hour