Stagecoach Manchester Sponsors Body Confidence Event

TV Star to Speak at Body Confidence event in Manchester

• Popular TV personality Vicky Pattison joins line-up at city’s first Body Confidence Live event;
• 06 October afternoon event to promote body confidence, self-esteem and wellness;
• Event sponsored by Stagecoach Manchester and raising funds for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital charity.

Whether you feel like the back end of a bus or wish to have a fresh start, Stagecoach Manchester are sponsoring an event which could change your life. What’s more, a fiver from each ticket will be donated to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital charity.

Coming Soon to Greater Manchester: 105 All Electric Buses

£56m bus deal could see zero emission buses in Greater Manchester, though with strings attached 

• Introduction subject to Stagecoach Manchester winning Department for Transport grant;
• Transport for Greater Manchester to submit rival bid for all-electric Vantage and Metroshuttle routes and school buses.

Fiddlers Ferry Power Station: the power behind Stagecoach’s prospective 105 zero emission buses? Or TfGM’s 64 all-electric vehicles? Image by Sheri, 2009 (Creative Commons License: Attribution-Some Rights Reserved).

You can safely say that Greater Manchester is the spiritual home of the electric bus. 45 years ago it set the trend with Chloride’s Silent Rider – an all-electric Seddon single decker bus. Unlike today’s buses, it was only used at peak times and charged between the peaks. By 2012, the first electric-hybrid buses entered regular service and became a regular feature on trunk routes.

Northern Rail Strike: Six Saturdays of Industrial Action This Autumn

Arriva Rail North Saturday strikes: how they will affect passengers east of the M60 motorway

After two months without strike action, there has been no sign of a resolution between Arriva Rail North and the RMT union. From Saturday [25 August], industrial action will resume on services operated by Arriva Rail North’s Northern franchise.

Saddleworth Scramble Raises £1,800 for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital

Stagecoach Manchester staff scale Saddleworth peaks for charity

Chew Reservoir: part of a 25km hike taken by some of Stagecoach Manchester’s staff. This was photographed in 2011, over seven years before their walk.

The hills and valleys which frame the Saddleworth villages bring enjoyment to many walkers and (on Dovestone Reservoir) sailors. From Denshaw to Friezland its pubs fulfil a similar purpose with a wide selection of locally brewed real ales. Especially on the last weekend of August during the Rushcart Festival.

First Greater Manchester Goes Contactless

New Ticketer machines ushers in start of contactless travel on First Greater Manchester routes

In line with other FirstGroup subsidiaries across the UK, contactless payments will be available on First Greater Manchester bus routes. From the first weekend in September, all First buses will be able to accept contactless credit and debit cards as a payment option.

Stagecoach Manchester’s Summer Sunday Fare Offer

Manchester to Ashton-under-Lyne, or Oldham to Hyde for just £2.00

With a maximum fare of £2.00 on Summer Sundays, on Stagecoach’s Manchester routes, the company’s special offer would give the trains a run for their money.

Fancy a nice Summer Sunday on the bus? If you live in South Manchester, parts of Tameside, Stockport, and Wigan, Stagecoach Manchester have a splendid offer for you.

Now You Know What I Did This Summer: Weston-super-Mare’s Bus Routes

A look at present-day bus operations in Weston-super-Mare

Virtual Monopoly: First Bristol, Bath and The West run most of Weston-super-Mare’s bus routes. Seen here is the decaying yet iconic Birnbeck Pier with an open-top bus on the 1 seafront service to Weston.

Thanks to the wonders of S.S. Great Britain, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the West Somerset Railway, yours truly returned to Weston-super-Mare. Which of course explains my recent absence of posts on East of the M60. 

Last Tiger in Paris: Greater Manchester’s Cross-Channel Links

Who remembers getting a coach from Manchester to Paris?

Cast your mind back to 1976. Many people associate the year with its long hot summer, hose pipe bans, and queueing outside stand pipes. For many readers of this blog, 2018 could have similar parallels to that year (weather and hose pipe bans alone). With the school holidays kicking in, why would you want to (or have wanted to in 1976) find the sun abroad?

42 years on, we think nothing of travelling abroad. Our soon-to-expire EU Membership has enabled us to travel to EU Member States at affordable prices. South of London St. Pancras station, getting a train to Paris is easier than catching a bus from Stalybridge to Marple (in 1976, no need to change buses thanks to the 389 route).

2018 World Cup of GM Bus Routes: The Final Tie

The World Cup of Greater Manchester Bus Routes Final: V1 v. 184

Now, the end is near… yes, after several group stages and knockout rounds, we have now reached the final tie. The game of all games, the clash of all clashes… Forget France versus Croatia, this is the one.