Tameside and Glossop Bus Service Changes, 05 September 2021

All the latest back to school bus times and the usual changes

• Stagecoach Manchester routes revert to winter timetable;
• New Sheffield connection for Hyde passengers;
• Late night 409 journeys to Ashton restored.

For the first time in a while, Tameside’s latest service changes make for more positive reading. Evening journeys will be boosted on one of our trunk routes and Hyde is going to get direct bus links to Manchester Airport, Sheffield and Macclesfield.

With higher traffic levels on schooldays, most of Tameside’s principal bus routes shall be reverting to their winter timetables. The biggest change to our bus scene is a new bus route from Hyde to Sheffield – the first since 1995 (or 2003 if you count the diversion of National Express’ 351 route via the M67 motorway).

The Snake’s shapeshifting

In the last year, Hulley’s of Baslow’s X57 route has operated between Manchester and Sheffield via Hollingworth [Gun Inn] and Glossop. From Sunday 5th September, there will be a significant upgrade to the route with the addition of new stops in Greater Manchester.

On Sundays and Bank Holidays, the X57 will be extended southwards to Manchester Airport and the now iconic Runway Viewing Park. Between Manchester [Chorlton Street] and Runway Viewing Park, there will be four intermediate stops along the Wilmslow Road corridor from Chorlton-on-Medlock to Fallowfield. These journeys in their entirety, from Ringway to Sheffield, will run as the X57.

From Monday to Saturday, the X57 is two bus routes in one. In reality, it is a bus route from Ashbourne and Macclesfield to Manchester Airport, Glossop and Sheffield. From Manchester Airport to Sheffield it runs as the X57. South of Manchester Airport down to Ashbourne, it runs as the X1. In addition to getting a direct link to Sheffield, Hyde gets its first regular Macclesfield link since 1970 (when the Rose Hill Marple – Macclesfield line closed) – albeit as two separate bus routes that use the same vehicle on each turn.

The first bus from Ashbourne leaves at 0915, arriving in Manchester city centre for 1130. 25 minutes later at 1155, it is timetabled to reach Hyde bus station before continuing to Glossop (1215) and Sheffield (1315). At four hours, one for the hardest of hardcore bus enthusiasts. There are five return journeys between Ashbourne and Sheffield.

Journeys from Hyde to Glossop

• Hyde Bus Station: 0640, 0755, 0955, 1155, 1355, 1555, 1810.
• Glossop [Howard Arms]: 0700, 0815, 1015, 1215, 1415, 1615, 1830.

Journeys from Hyde to Sheffield

• Hyde Bus Station: 0640, 0755, 0955, 1155, 1355, 1555, 1810.
• Sheffield Interchange: 0800, 0915, 1115, 1315, 1515, 1715, 1825.

Journeys from Hyde to Manchester city centre

• Hyde Bus Station: 0608, 0715, 0815, 1045, 1245, 1445, 1645, 1845.
• Manchester [Chorlton Street]: 0620, 0730, 0845, 1105, 1305, 1505, 1705, 1905.

Journeys from Hyde to Manchester Airport

• Hyde Bus Station: 0608, 0715, 0815, 1045, 1245, 1445, 1645, 1845.
• Manchester Airport: 0645, 0805, 0920, 1140, 1340, 1540, 1740, 1940.

Journeys from Hyde to Macclesfield

• Hyde Bus Station: 0815, 1045, 1245, 1445, 1645.
• Macclesfield Bus Station: 0955, 1210, 1410, 1610, 1810.

Journeys from Hyde to Ashbourne

• Hyde Bus Station: 0815, 1045, 1245, 1445, 1645.
• Ashbourne Bus Station: 1055 SuX GMT, 1110 SO BST, 1310, 1510, 1710, 1910.

Supposing the traffic is on its side, Hulley’s of Baslow’s journey from Hyde to Glossop could be the fastest way to the Derbyshire town on public transport. At 20 minutes, it is faster than getting a 201 to Hattersley for the Hadfield train, and three times faster than the tendered 341 route between Hyde and Glossop.

Other Tameside and Glossop Service Changes

Welcome news for the borough’s nighttime economy is the restoration of late night journeys on the 409 route to Ashton-under-Lyne. Recently, the last bus from Rochdale to Ashton-under-Lyne departed at 2225 with its last two journeys (2255 and 2325) terminating at Oldham.

After the 5th September, the last ‘9 bus from Rochdale to Ashton will depart at 2325 with the 2255 journey before then extended to Ashton. The Sunday and Bank Holiday service’s last Rochdale to Ashton bus will remain the 2225 journey. From Ashton-under-Lyne, the last bus to Rochdale will depart at 2310 with later journeys to Oldham departing at 2340 and 0010. Again, a return to the pre-lockdown service levels after dark.

Three services will be retimed to improve reliability, affecting the 336, 337 and 389 routes. These, beyond the Winter Timetable retimings for many of Stagecoach’s routes, are presumably affected by traffic levels on Mossley Road.

Little Gem’s 335 route from Dane Bank to Ashton-under-Lyne saw a change of route in Dane Bank last week. Eschewing Anson Road, there is now a clockwise circular section via Windsor Road, Windmill Lane, Thornley Road South, Wilton Street, and Granada Road. This is accessed from Hulme Road with the circular section being Hail and Ride. There has also been some subtle retiming changes.

From the 26 September, there will also be some changes to the 61 route from Glossop to Buxton. This will affect its Sunday and Bank Holiday timetable. There will also be minor retiming changes on First Greater Manchester’s 350 route. This affects the company’s weekday and Saturday journeys between Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham (via most parts of Saddleworth).

Winter Timetables

The following Stagecoach Manchester routes will be reverting to their Winter Timetables:

• 7: Stockport – Reddish – Dane Bank – Gorton – Droylsden – Ashton-under-Lyne;
• 7A: Stockport – Reddish – Gorton – Droylsden – Ashton-under-Lyne;
• 201: Hattersley – Hyde – Denton – Debdale Park – Gorton – Ardwick – Piccadilly Gardens;
• 202: Gee Cross – Hyde – Haughton Green – Denton – Debdale Park – Gorton – West Gorton – Ardwick – Piccadilly Gardens;
• 205: Dane Bank – Debdale Park – Gorton – West Gorton – Ardwick – Piccadilly Gardens;
• 216: Piccadilly Gardens – Ancoats – Beswick – Clayton – Droylsden – Ashton-under-Lyne – (Stalybridge);
• 219: (Stalybridge) – Ashton-under-Lyne – Guide Bridge – Fairfield – Openshaw – Ardwick – Piccadilly Gardens;
• 221: Dukinfield [Tennyson Avenue] – Shepley – Audenshaw – Fairfield – Openshaw – Ardwick – Piccadilly Gardens;
• 230: Ashton-under-Lyne – Taunton – Littlemoss – Droylsden – Clayton – Beswick – Ancoats – Piccadilly Gardens;
• 231: Ashton-under-Lyne – Tameside Hospital – Hartshead – Waterloo – Littlemoss – Moorside – Clayton – Beswick – Ancoats – Piccadilly Gardens;
• 237: Ashton-under-Lyne – Stalybridge – Mottram-in-Longdendale – Hollingworth – Tintwistle – Hadfield – Dinting – Glossop;
• 327: Denton – Bredbury Industrial Estate – Brinnington – Stockport;
• 330: Ashton-under-Lyne – Dukinfield – Hyde – Woodley – Bredbury – Portwood – Stockport;
• 346: Ashton-under-Lyne – Dukinfield – Newton – Hyde – (Gee Cross);
• 347: Ashton-under-Lyne – Guide Bridge – Hooley Hill – Denton – Haughton Green Circular.

Where next?

For once, it is nice to see some better news in our local bus scene. Especially when reports elsewhere have stated how some operators are having to cut services due to pandemic staffing levels.

On the other hand, one wonders if and when these issues will affect Greater Manchester’s bus operators. Some of the first lockdown service cuts have been made permanent – most notably in Dukinfield with the 389’s ‘temporary’ hourly frequency. Also the loss of a meaningful bus link between Yew Tree Lane and Dukinfield Town Hall which probably wouldn’t be addressed by anything besides a franchised structure or a dramatic increase in funding for tendered routes. (The latter perhaps unlikely by our present incumbents at 10 Downing Street).

The X57’s arrival in Hyde is a welcome addition, though a Sunday and Bank Holiday service to Glossop is sorely missed in its timetable. Being able to get from Hyde to Manchester Airport the Runway Viewing Park is also welcome as is the return of a direct link to Macclesfield (despite taking 1 hour and 40 minutes). We think the express section from Hyde to Glossop could be a popular addition, maybe more so than Hulley’s of Baslow may have foreseen.

If anything might stand in the way of the X57/X1 routes, it is Glossopian traffic jams between the end of the M67 and TESCO. There is also a valid case for bus priority measures at traffic lights in Greater Manchester and in Derbyshire, though the latter needs County Hall approval in Matlock.

S.V., 02 September 2021.