15 April 2007 Service Changes, Greater Manchester
The changes to the 343, as per the previous post has been confirmed by the GMPTE website.
Its sister service, the 344 will also be operated by Speedwell Travel. This service comprises of one journey from Oldham to Hyde, via Waterhead (unlike the other long withdrawn 344, Hyde – Mossley service via Staley Road).
The 343 was one of five services proposed for withdrawal by First Manchester, along with the 387, 553, 95 and the 32. The other Tameside area route (the 387: Ashton – Stalybridge – Dukinfield – Newton – Hyde) has been withdrawn. This will be replaced by extra journeys on the 389 service – granting this service four buses per hour – as was the case before 2004, when the 387 replaced the 41 service between Hyde and Dukinfield (Yew Tree).
Of the infamous five routes, the 95 (Bolton – Pendleton) has seen minor changes. The 553 (Bolton – Leigh) will terminate at Boothstown, and the 32 (Manchester – Wigan) has been rerouted. Though not one of the ‘infamous five’, its sister route, the 33 will terminate at Worsley rather than Wigan – with a 15 minute frequency.
For the first time since 1994, part of the 419 route (Ashton – Chadderton – Middleton) will be operated by an independent company, in the form of Speedwell Travel. The last indie firms to operate this route were JP Executive Travel and Citibus (who started the route in 1988).
On a sad note, the 351 (Friezland – Rochdale) and 356 (Oldham – Strinesdale – Greenfield) will be withdrawn and replaced by Local Link branded demand responsive services. These will cover the Saddleworth part of these routes. Previously operated by Stagecoach Manchester, these were supported by the Government’s Rural Bus Challenge scheme.
S.V., 05 April 2007.
Update: New Timetable released (15 April 2007)
The new timetable has been released for the 343 and 344 routes via the GMPTE website and my own observations at Oldham bus station. Contrary to the Tameside Advertiser’s story, the route will run from Oldham to Hyde as before – continuing the direct link to Oldham from Dukinfield initiated in July 1980 by Greater Manchester Transport.
Compared with the previous timetable, the extra peak hour journeys from Oldham will terminate at Mossley, and the route will retain a regular hourly frequency for most of the day (except Saturday, where there will be an eighty-eight minute gap between the 1650 Speedwell journey and the first evening journey by First Manchester at 1818).
New timetable: 343, Hyde – Dukinfield – Stalybridge – Mossley – Oldham
I am visiting Stock[ort next week anb would like to visit my cousin in Cheetham Hill Road Dukinfield. I have tried to to find a bus service on the internet without success. Can you advise me please? Thanking you in anticipation, Yours faithfully, James Moss.
Hi James,
I can easily answer that question, and in great detail.
Assuming your journey starts at Stockport Bus Station, I recommend the 389 from there to Dukinfield (Cheetham Hill Road). This service operates on a hourly frequency till 1800 hours, Monday – Saturday and is operated by Stagecoach Manchester. The service goes via Bredbury, Greave, Hyde and Dukinfield (Cheetham Hill Road up to Yew Tree Lane where it turns right). This bus continues to Stalybridge and Ashton.
Alternatively, you can board the 330 to Hyde Bus Station (Stagecoach Manchester) and change there for a 346 (also serving Cheetham Hill Road, up to the Lodge pub). From Hyde you can also board shorter 389 journeys.
Both the 346 and the 389 (Hyde – Dukinfield – Ashton) are operated by First Manchester and Stagecoach Manchester on a Monday to Saturday. All evening journeys on the 346 (Bank Holidays excepted) are operated by Checkmate Coaches.
Evening journeys on the 389 are operated by First Manchester between Ashton – Hyde – Gee Cross. All Stagecoach Manchester 346 journeys (Monday – Saturday) continue to Gee Cross.
The Sunday service sees the 389 running as the 388 from Ashton – Marple, on a once hourly basis, running as the Ashton – Gee Cross 389 after 1900 hours. This is also operated by First Manchester. The 346 too runs once a hour, between Hyde and Ashton. This is operated by Stagecoach Manchester till 1900 hours.
Sunday services operate to the same timetable as Bank Holiday services (except for Checkmate Coaches’ 346 service).
Daytime Frequencies: (389) 3 per hour (Hyde – Dukinfield);
1 per hour (Stockport – Dukinfield);
(346) 4 per hour (2 per hour each company);
(330) Every 7 – 10 minutes.
Evening Frequencies: (330) 2 per hour;
(346) 1 per hour;
(389) 1 per hour.
Sunday Frequencies: 330 2 per hour (3 per hour, 1000 – 1700 hours);
388 1 per hour (daytimes only);
389 1 per hour (after 1900 hours);
346 1 per hour (Stagecoach Manchester till 1900 hours).
Unless you purchase a season ticket of some description (single company’s ticket/System One pass), I would recommend the System One Bus Daysaver at £4.00 (£4.30 before 0930 hours). Just ask the driver for an ‘all bus daysaver’ and he/she will know which one you mean. This ticket can be used on any bus in Greater Manchester from Stagecoach Manchester to Speedwell Bus and a cast of 40 other bus companies in Greater Manchester.
I do hope this is helpful to you and that you don’t get lost or too confused. One other thing I must warn you about is some service may run late around the Hyde area due to water mains works on Market Street.
Bye for now,
Stuart.