CHAOS for Rangers fans in Manchester as 'do not travel' warnings issued amid fierce Storm Eowyn winds

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Rangers fans could face travel chaos and find themselves stuck in Manchester amid a number of urgent 'do not travel' warnings.

Thousands have travelled from Scotland to the city for the huge Europa League clash, which kicks off at 8pm on Thursday (January 23) at Old Trafford. Many are expected to walk from the city centre in joyous scenes to the stadium ahead of the game.

But urgent travel warnings have threatened to thwart Ranger's fans travelling home on Friday (January 24), especially for those travelling by train.

There's a regular direct service between Manchester from Glasgow Central, but amber and red alerts for wind amid Storm Éowyn are expected to cause travel chaos.

(Image: PA)

Forecasters from the Met Office are expecting gusts of wind up to 100mph in some areas on Friday, with widespread travel disruption likely across much of the UK.

Passengers, including Rangers fans, could be impacted by the latest warning from TransPennine Express (TPE), which urged customers not to travel between Manchester and Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh, or on services between York, Newcastle, and Edinburgh, due to the expected winds from Storm Éowyn.

Football fans planning to travel to the Manchester United vs. Rangers game on Thursday (January 23) are also advised that services to/from Scotland will be severely impacted on Friday. Fans are encouraged to postpone their journeys or defer return travel until Saturday (January 25).

(Image: @lucapemberton88)

Andrew McClements, Customer Experience and Transformation Director at TPE, said: "Our top priority is the safety of our customers and colleagues. We will do everything possible to keep people moving under difficult conditions, however due to the weather warnings in place for this Friday, we are having to issue advice not to travel on two of our routes.

“We urge anyone travelling on the affected routes to reconsider their plans and to follow the guidance provided."

There are also no Avanti West Coast services travelling north of Preston on Friday. An update said: "Due to disruption expected from Storm Éowyn, there are no trains running north of Preston (to/from Cumbria, Glasgow or Edinburgh) on Friday 24 January. Do not attempt to travel on this route. On our North Wales route, please only travel if absolutely necessary on Friday.

"Elsewhere in the UK, there is still a risk of disruption to your journey due to the impact of Storm Éowyn. We strongly recommend that you check before you travel.

"If you're due to travel north of Preston or on our North Wales route on Friday 24 January, your existing ticket can now be used on any Avanti West Coast service via the same route from Thursday 23 January until the end of service on Tuesday 28 January."

People are also being encouraged to plan ahead if they are travelling between 5pm and 7.30pm on Thursday evening, as Manchester United host Glasgow Rangers in a big game at Old Trafford.

The Europa League fixture means the city centre and area around the ground are expected to be exceptionally busy ahead of the match. Several ticketed events are also taking place for Rangers fans both in the city centre and further afield.

Altrincham, Eccles and Trafford Park lines will also be very busy as fans make their way to the Old Trafford, Exchange Quay and Wharfside stops.

Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Officer at TfGM, said: “This is a huge game with a sell-out capacity crowd and thousands of fans expected to travel down from Glasgow for the occasion.

“If you’re making a journey on Thursday evening, please consider when and how you travel and, where possible, avoid the busiest times (5pm-7.30pm) and areas around Old Trafford.

“For those who do have to travel between these times, our state-of-the-art control room will be monitoring services and traffic flows and responding to any developing situation. We will also have dedicated staff out on the network helping people to get around the city.”

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