North West Bank Holiday travel: All you need to know

As the Bank Holiday weekend starts - drivers are being warned it is set to be the busiest early May Bank Holiday on the country's roads in a decade, while some rail passengers are also set to face disruption with the closure of Liverpool Lime Street station.

The RAC estimate 19 million leisure trips will take place by car between Friday and Monday - only slightly behind the record 20 million forecast for the same period in 2016.

There are some major sporting events which may also impact travel plans with Wigan Warriors hosting Bradford Bulls in Super League on Sunday, Manchester United welcoming Liverpool to Old Trafford on Sunday and Everton playing Manchester City at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Here is your guide to travel by road, train and plane in the north-west of England this weekend.

Network Rail said Liverpool Lime Street station would be closed on Sunday and continuing until about noon on Monday for new signalling to be installed around Edge Hill.

Northern said buses would be replacing trains all day between Lime Street and Huyton and Lime Street and Hunts Cross.

There will also be changes to late night trains to and from Manchester Piccadilly, due to late night engineering work on Monday.

The changes to services are as follows:

• 22:17 Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester Piccadilly service will terminate at Stockport. Onward train services are available
• 22:47 Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly service will not call at New Mills Central, Strines, Marple, Romiley, Bredbury, Brinnington, Reddish North, Ryder Brow, Belle Vue and Ashburys but will call additionally at Stockport. A bus will be provided from Chinley to Manchester Piccadilly to serve intermediate stations
• 23:16 Manchester Piccadilly to Macclesfield service will not run. The 21:55 Blackpool North to Manchester Airport service will be extended to Macclesfield in its place
• 23:18 New Mills Central to Manchester Piccadilly train will not run and will be will be replaced by a bus.
• 23:25 Manchester Piccadilly to New Mills Central train will not run and will be will be replaced by a bus
• 23:29 Manchester Piccadilly to Glossop service will not run. A bus will be provided between Manchester Piccadilly and Hadfield calling at Ashburys, Gorton, Guide Bridge, Flowery Field, Newton for Hyde, Godley, Glossop and Dinting. A mini-bus will be provided between Godley and Hadfield calling at Hattersley, Broadbottom, Glossop and Dinting
• 23:37 Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport service will not run. The 22:22 Blackpool North to Manchester Airport service will call additionally at Mauldeth Road, Burnage, East Didsbury, Gatley and Heald Green

There will also be late night changes to services to and from Clitheroe in Lancashire as follows on Monday:

• 21:52 Rochdale to Clitheroe service will terminate at Blackburn. A replacement bus will be provided from Blackburn to Clitheroe

• 23:42 Clitheroe to Blackburn service will not run and will be replaced by a bus.

Passengers are advised to check with their train operators or with National Rail for the latest information.

Drivers travelling on the M6, M56, M60, M62 and M61 are warned of lane reductions or slip lane closures running overnight throughout the Bank Holiday weekend from 20:00 BST until 06:00.

Motorists are advised to check the National Highways website for updates.

Manchester Airport promises innovations to smooth the journey for the expected 440,000 passengers who will fly from it over the weekend.

Most airlines will fly from the newly expanded Terminal 2 with only Ryan Air departing from Terminal 3.

More self-service check-in kiosks have been installed and upgraded security means passengers can keep liquids under 100ml and large electrical items in hand luggage.

Some car parks now have no barriers, so drivers can pay later online, by phone, or AutoPay.

At Liverpool John Lennon Airport a spokesman advised passengers to allow "plenty of time to pass through the airport as we expect it to be slightly busier than normal".

He also said to "allow plenty of time to travel to the airport as we are aware of roadworks in the area, too".

Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.