Strikes, Elton John, Arctic Monkeys and Coldplay to cause 'busiest day'

Coldplay will play four concerts in Manchester, while Arctic Monkeys play two shows at Old Trafford Cricket Ground

People travelling to Greater Manchester on Saturday have been warned to plan ahead as it prepares for "the busiest day on the transport network so far".

Transport bosses in the region said a combination of "rail strikes and major events" meant there would be "major congestion" on the area's roads.

Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and Sir Elton John all play in the area on Saturday.

It will also be the first day of the free We Invented The Weekend festival in Salford.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said between Wednesday and Sunday, more than 300,000 people were expected at the three acts concerts.

Coldplay will be taking to the stage at the Etihad Stadium, just outside the city centre, for shows on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, while Sir Elton plays three gigs at the city's AO Arena as part of his farewell tour on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

The rock legend's fellow Glastonbury headliners Arctic Monkeys play at Old Trafford Cricket Ground on Friday and Saturday, while on Saturday and Sunday, thousands are expected to descend on Salford Quays for the We Invented The Weekend festival.

Sir Elton will be playing three gigs at the AO Arena in Manchester city centre

TfGM said Friday and Saturday would see industrial action on the railways and "customers wishing to travel should expect train timetables and operating hours to be significantly affected".

It said "dedicated travel guidance" for each of the events, including "which routes and suggestions of alternatives", could be found on its website and the Metrolink tram network would be "the quickest and most reliable way of travelling in and around the city centre".

It said congestion was expected in the city centre and on the Inner Ring Road across the weekend and motorists were "strongly advised not to drive into the city centre".

It added that car users who have no option but to drive should "add a significant amount of additional time to their journeys" and consider using a Metrolink park and ride.

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Sean Dyball, TfGM's head of customer experience, said it was "expecting this weekend, particularly Saturday, to be one of the busiest periods of the year in Manchester".

"We are expecting major congestion on Saturday and we strongly encourage anyone travelling into the city centre to plan ahead and allow sufficient time for their journeys," he said.

He added that TfGM would be "constantly updating the customer information available on our website and across our social media channels" throughout the weekend to help people make "informed journey choices, to save them time and avoid disruption to their journey".

Saturday will also see many football supporters from the region travelling to London to watch Manchester United take on Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in the first ever all-Manchester FA Cup Final.