In 1984, we were promised jetpacks; we got Pacer units instead We haven’t had a Not So Perfect Ten on here for a while. With urban public transport forever in the news agenda, our latest NSP10 reflects this. Given how Northern Powerhouse Rail and Manchester Piccadilly’s 15th and 16th platforms hang in the balance, we…
Category: Bus Operation
Tameside and Glossop Bus Service Changes, 01 September 2019
Spoils of FirstGroup’s Tamexit sees sweeping changes Ashton local services rationalised; No more post-7pm buses from Stalybridge to Hyde; Sunday and Bank Holiday 236s axed. Most of this September’s changes are affected by FirstGroup’s retreat from the Tameside area. Within the next month, Tameside’s biggest two bus operators will be Stagecoach Manchester and MCT Travel….
FirstGroup Restructuring Update: New Bolton Depot Location
Residual Bolton operations to move to Blue Bus garage Though there are eleven days to go till Diamond Bus North West takes over First Greater Manchester’s Bolton depot, some of Bolton’s First routes will be operated by First after the 11 August 2019. These concern evening journeys on the 2 and 68 routes and the…
Tameside and Glossop Bus Service Changes, 21 July 2019
First pulls out of 346 route but, other than that, usual summertime changes Besides the usual raft of summer timetable changes, the only significant change affects one route that has been shared by two or more operators for nearly three decades.
Armed Forces Day: Free Bus Travel for Armed Forces Personnel
Greater Manchester bus operators join forces in offering free travel for armed forces personnel Today, Armed Forces Day is a chance for the public to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community. From currently serving troops to Service families, veterans and cadets. In Greater Manchester, three of the…
FirstGroup Restructuring: Sale of Bolton Depot to Rotala
Reorganisation of First Greater Manchester to leave Oldham as its only depot In the continuing saga of First Greater Manchester’s contraction, FirstGroup have announced the sale of their Bolton depot to Rotala plc. The transfer of its Weston Street garage, over 500 staff and 18 bus routes is expected to be completed within months.
Our Network: Tameside’s Future Transport Network in Greater Manchester
Why Andy Burnham has moved one step closer to bus franchising and how this affects Tameside Greater Manchester is one step closer to seeing off Nicholas Ridley’s free market experiment. A free market experiment that has seen a 45% drop in bus patronage in Greater Manchester. An experiment which has seen swingeing cuts to the…
Wired For Sound! Audio Visual Announcement Trial for Stockport Bus Routes
Stagecoach Manchester to experiment with audio visual announcements on 23 and 325 services If you travel by train, tram, or tube, you may be familiar with the sight of audio visual displays on your usual journey. Your friendly LED display might say “Next stop, Cockfosters” or “the next stop is Ashton-under-Lyne where this service terminates”.
A Brief History of Teen Travel in Greater Manchester
Who remembers Greater Manchester’s previous attempts at wooing teenagers onto the bus? Over the last week, details of Andy Burnham’s Opportunity Pass have been revealed in the Manchester Evening News and on the GetMeThere website. From the 01 September, young people aged 16 to 18 years old – so long as they produce a smart…
South Pennine Goes Contactless!
South Pennine Community Transport introduces contactless payments on the 29 April 2019 On both sides of the Pennines, Arriva, Stagecoach, and FirstGroup have introduced contactless payments on their buses. Instead of fumbling for change, they offer casual passengers another way to pay for their bus fares. So far, smaller independent operators have begun to add…
The X30 Factor: Stagecoach Manchester’s New Express Service
Ever wondered what became of the 330’s Manchester Airport link? That section has been spun off as a separate service. After the 27 April 2019, the Tameside area will once again be without a direct bus to Manchester Airport. As a consequence, the 330 will revert to being an Ashton – Hyde – Stockport route….
Bringing People Together: Stagecoach Manchester’s Campaign Against Loneliness
Four week campaign aims to tackle loneliness in Greater Manchester For aged persons, being away from friends or loved ones is a major problem. One barrier is the lack of awareness of social activities, which may keep their minds active. This could be alleviated by using ‘dead tree’ analogue media as well as the internet….
