It’s 2022, not 1979.
After half a day in and around Manchester stations and their transport infrastructure, it is clear that Solstice Strike has brought tranquility rather than chaos to the city and perhaps, more broadly, to the country.
Rail services have been devastated – down more than 80% across the Northwest according to Network Rail sources.
It has left stations empty with only a trickle of passengers – like at Manchester Piccadilly, where only one main line to London runs every hour.
Manchester Victoria station looked quiet on Tuesday morning
Yet at the Transport for Greater Manchester control room across the street, 2,000 road, rail and underground surveillance cameras reveal only a modest amount of displacement away from trains and other forms of transport.
Peak traffic into the city grew only 2% on the last two Tuesdays – too small to be a significant metric, and while bus and tram capacity has increased and parking and commuting Busy, no sudden changes.
So: working from home has kept many white-collar jobs from going on strike and millions have stayed at home.
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We shouldn’t be surprised. The rail commuter count was already 40% of the previous COVID level, indicating a lasting shift towards hybrid working patterns.
This change is of course one reason why ministers and railway companies say the network needs to be reformed.
However, this adaptability won’t stop the economic boost to the service sector, or help those who have no choice but to travel today.
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In contrast, leisure tourism has returned to full capacity. Two weekends back, a concert series saw 130.00 Piccadilly Station users, the biggest single day since 2019.
It is possible that of the three days of strikes this week, Saturday’s action may be the most disruptive.
