Major Upgrades to Bee Network Buses to Benefit 740,000 Across Greater Manchester

Improvements are coming to Bee Network bus services later this year as the Bee Network continues to power Greater Manchester’s rapid economic growth.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has revealed 36 service changes across Greater Manchester – the most significant and wide-ranging upgrades to the Bee Network since bus franchising was completed on time and on budget in January last year.

These changes have been shaped by feedback from local residents and passengers.

Only made possible by bringing buses back under local control, the improvements include:

• 24-hour night buses: Five new night buses will bring round-the-clock service to Oldham, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford (Thursday–Saturday), supporting 625,400 people in late-night jobs and helping everyone get home safely.
• New routes: Woodford Garden Village–Stockport; Ashton, Stalybridge & Dukinfield–Hyde; Wigan & St Helens via Abram, Golborne & Newton-le-Willows.
• Better connections: Manchester Airport, Kingsway Business Park, Middlebrook Retail Park, MediaCity, Trafford Centre, and Logistics North with timetables aligned to shifts.
• More buses: Extra services during day, evening and weekends, including Middleton, Stakehill, Rochdale, Partington, Oldham, Bury and Oxford Road, with additional capacity on the busiest corridors.

Going forward, services will be continually reviewed to ensure the Bee Network meet the needs of a growing city-region. This includes a direct route between Hyde and Hollingworth being developed with Tameside Council and improved connections between Heywood, Middleton and Manchester to support the vision for Atom Valley.

You can find out more by going to the Bee Network website.