Northern is advising customers travelling this August bank holiday weekend to check before they travel and be flexible with their journeys.

Trains are expected to be very busy between Friday 27 and Monday 30 August due to several high-profile events, sporting fixtures and ongoing issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Manchester Pride, Creamfields, Leeds Festival, cricket at Headingley, racing at Cartmel, a full football programme and late summer sunshine are expected to bring an increased footfall to train services across the region.

In addition, engineering work between Manchester and Stoke (via Macclesfield), and Liverpool and Manchester (via Warrington Central), will see trains replaced by buses, meaning longer travel times on those routes.

Buses will replace trains between Sheffield and Lincoln and on some services between Sheffield and York on Sunday.

And, with Northern still running amended timetables on some routes because of COVID-19, the train operator is warning customers to plan carefully for any bank holiday journeys.

Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, said: “We know the bank holiday provides a great opportunity for people to get out, explore, and enjoy all the North has to offer.

“And with so many fantastic events taking place our services are going to be much busier than they have been for several months.

“We’re doing all we can to prepare for the weekend and are putting on as many carriages and services as possible to get our customers where they need – and want – to be.

“We’re also asking our customers to plan ahead, expect services to be busy, allow extra time for journeys and, where possible, to avoid travelling during the busiest times.”

Those who do plan to travel this weekend can do so with confidence as Northern continues to provide enhanced cleaning at its stations and on-board its trains.

Northern has more than 600 dedicated cleaning staff working on trains and at stations with a particular focus on touch points (tables, buttons, and toilets). The enhanced cleaning regime is designed to protect customers and staff by reducing the potential risk of transmission which is already proven to be extremely low on the rail network.

And the operator is also asking customers to be considerate of others and, if able, to continue wearing face coverings on trains and at stations.

For full details of Northern’s timetables visit northernrailway.co.uk or nationalrail.co.uk