No queues and empty halls: Eerie silence across Manchester as rail strikes bring back scenes of a not-too-distant past

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Hallways and floors usually crammed full of thousands of moving bodies fell silent across Manchester today. In scenes eerily reminiscent of the first lockdown just a short time ago in spring 2020, Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly stood empty, with only a small crowd of workers cheering outside the entrances an indication of what was going on.

50,000 railway workers began the first of three days of strikes this week across the UK, grounding the railway network and causing travel chaos for millions up and down the country.

Picket lines from those in the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) were set up across the nation, with one at Piccadilly Station, another at Victoria and many more throughout the region.

Cars drove past Piccadilly station this morning, honking their horns at the crowd of workers assembled outside, who were quick to cheer back.