Rail operator Northern has cancelled more services today, again blaming 'unprecedented levels of sickness' and annual leave entitlements.
Friday's cancellations follow dozens of services being taken off the lines on Christmas Eve for the same reasons.
Transport leaders called the situation 'totally unacceptable' and vowed to monitor performance.
Routes through Manchester, Rochdale and Wigan are expected to be hit.
In a statement on its website, Northern said: "On Friday December 27th, there are planned cancellations on a number of routes in the North West.
"The planned cancellations will affect:
"Lancaster – Morecambe: A reduced rail service will be in operation and a replacement bus will also be serving the route.
"Manchester Piccadilly – Hadfield: A reduced rail service will be in operation.
"Liverpool Lime Street – Wigan North Western (stopping service): A bus replacement service will operate every hour.
"Kirkby - Manchester Victoria: Passengers can use alternative services between Wigan and Manchester. In addition, a replacement bus will operate between Wigan to Kirkby.
"Rochdale – Blackburn/Clitheroe: Passengers able to use alternative train services on this route.
"Manchester Piccadilly – Crewe: Passengers to use alternative services between Manchester and Crewe (via Styal) and Alderley Edge.
"Alongside the annual leave entitlements at this time of the year, we currently have unprecedented levels of sickness.
"That means we expect there to be some pre-planned cancellations on certain lines. We are sorry for any disruption customers may face. Please check before you travel.
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"We do not cancel services lightly and routes with cancelled services are chosen carefully to minimise the impact on customers. On each of the affected routes, our customers will have a range of alternative options available to them including other Northern services, trains run by other operators or rail replacement road transport.
"We are sorry for the inconvenience this will cause our customers. Please check immediately before you travel."
David Hoggarth, Strategic Rail Director at Transport for the North, said the situation was 'totally unacceptable'.
"We are deeply concerned that, on top of ongoing poor performance and heavy disruption during the first week of the new timetable, Northern is having to cancel hundreds of services in the North West on Christmas Eve and Friday 27 December," he said.
"It is totally unacceptable that passengers once again do not have a full service they can rely on, especially at this busy time of year.
"We have made our concerns clear to Northern and reiterated that passengers deserve better.
"We will continue to monitor performance over the Christmas break and expect to see comprehensive preparations in place to enable a return to a more reliable and robust service as people go back to work in January."
Anyone delayed by more than 15 minutes can claim compensation.
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