By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
Accept
routeonerouteonerouteone
  • News
    • Show all
    • Awards & Events
    • Deliveries
    • Environment
    • Exhibitor News
    • Euro Bus Expo 2024
    • Features
    • Legal
    • Minibus and minicoach
    • Operators
    • Opinion
    • People
    • Suppliers
    • Vehicles
  • Vehicles
    • Find a Vehicle
    • ZEV Comparison Tool
    • Sell a Vehicle
    • Vehicle Seller Dashboard
  • Insights
  • Careers
  • Events
    • British Tourism & Travel Show
    • Euro Bus Expo
    • Innovation Challenge
    • Livery Competition
    • routeone Awards
  • Advertise
  • Contact
    • Share your news
    • Subscribe
    • Update Subscription Details
  • Latest Issue
  • SIGN UP
Search
© 2024 routeone News. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Greater Manchester bus franchising completed with third tranche
Share
Font ResizerAa
routeonerouteone
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • News
    • Show all
    • Awards & Events
    • Deliveries
    • Environment
    • Exhibitor News
    • Euro Bus Expo 2024
    • Features
    • Legal
    • Minibus and minicoach
    • Operators
    • Opinion
    • People
    • Suppliers
    • Vehicles
  • Vehicles
    • Find a Vehicle
    • ZEV Comparison Tool
    • Sell a Vehicle
    • Vehicle Seller Dashboard
  • Insights
  • Careers
  • Events
    • British Tourism & Travel Show
    • Euro Bus Expo
    • Innovation Challenge
    • Livery Competition
    • routeone Awards
  • Advertise
  • Contact
    • Share your news
    • Subscribe
    • Update Subscription Details
  • Latest Issue
  • SIGN UP
Follow US
© 2024 routeone News | Powered by Diversified Business Communications UK Ltd
- Advertisement -
-
routeone > News > Greater Manchester bus franchising completed with third tranche
News

Greater Manchester bus franchising completed with third tranche

Tim Deakin
Tim Deakin
Published: January 6, 2025
Share
Greater Manchester bus franchising third tranche completed
SHARE

Reregulation of bus services in Greater Manchester completed on 5 January with the rollout of the third tranche of franchising. That final segment broadly captures the southern half of the region and is significantly bigger in scope than the first and second tranches.

The latest work has seen Metroline Manchester take up three large service contracts from four depots at Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde Road, Sharston, and Wythenshawe. The Stockport large franchise contract is with Stagecoach Manchester. Diamond Bus North West and Go North West were winners of the four small franchise contracts.

Commencement of the final tranche saw Arriva’s presence in Greater Manchester become a small number of routes that operate into the conurbation under local service permits. Other SME bus operators saw their involvement in bus service provision in the conurbation reduce or end entirely, a change that has generated controversy.

That aside, there are now 1,600 buses and 577 routes under the franchised Bee Network that will collectively deliver more than 160 million passenger trips per year.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) recently said that 25% of the Bee Network fleet will be zero-emission by the end of April as part of the procurement of hundreds of new vehicles. By the end of March, over 50% of the buses used on Bee Network services will be new, and 75% will be less than four years old.

The overarching Bee Network integrated transport approach will now move onto its second phase involving the incorporation of eight commuter rail lines.

Greater Manchester bus franchising third tranche completes
The third tranche of bus franchising in Greater Manchester completes a task that commenced in September 2023

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has underlined previous comments made in 2022 that TfGM will be able to assist other local authorities that are “looking to follow suit” by franchising their bus services and improve them “after decades of decline.”

Mr Burnham adds that while completion of bus franchising in Greater Manchester is “a nationally significant moment that we can all celebrate,” TfGM will now adopt “an unrelenting focus this year on delivering a truly integrated, London-style transport system across bus, tram and train.”

A further element of that is introduction of a hopper fare. It permits unlimited bus journeys within an hour of purchase, with the cost of an adult single on the Bee Network having been held at £2 for 2025 by TfGM.

The franchising body says that rollout of the reregulation process has been “delivered on time and on budget,” with the cost of running a franchised network reduced by one-third compared to intervention in a deregulated market. Work in Greater Manchester “is setting the blueprint for others to follow,” TfGM adds.

Although Greater Manchester leads the way in reregulation of bus services, various other areas are destined to follow suit.

That is already confirmed in the Liverpool City Region and West Yorkshire. Others including Wales in its entirety via the Welsh Government and local authorities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, North East England, South Yorkshire, the West Midlands and Strathclyde have indicated their favour of franchising for delivery of bus service reform.

Share This Article
Facebook LinkedIn Threads Email Copy Link
ByTim Deakin
Tim is Editor of routeone and has worked in both the coach and bus and haulage industries.
Previous Article George Gibson retires from Stagecoach South Stagecoach South man retires from bus career that started in 1978
Next Article The Kings Ferry founder Peter O'Neill obituary Obituary: Peter O’Neill, The Kings Ferry
- Advertisement -

Latest News

Go-Ahead London – Managing Director
Careers Jobs
andy burnham tfgm £15.6 billion (1) The funding announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves today (4 June) has been allocated to several combined mayoral authorities to use on rail, tram, road and bus infrastructure. Transport for Greater Manchester revealed today that part of the £2.5 billion it will receive will go towards making the Bee Network fully battery-electric by 2030. An as-yet undecided portion of that will support a planned investment in 1,000 new zero-emission buses over that period, the mayoral authority said. That is part of plans to build the UK's "first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system", with trams and trains also set to benefit. Liverpool City Region's already announced BRT system is among the projects to which its £1.6 billion will be allocated. Under those plans - due for realisation by 2028 - a high-speed network will be served by articulated buses which are modelled on the 'Glider' in Belfast. It is due to link Liverpool city centre with John Lennon Airport, and Liverpool FC and Everton FC's respective stadia along three routes. Although the model of bus has not been confirmed, a Van Hool Exqui.City on loan from Belfast was last year used as a demonstrator. That 18m vehicle can accommodate around 30% more passengers than a typical bus and has three sets of double doors. The funding will also go towards buses elsewhere in the city as the region heads towards franchising services by 2027. Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram with a 'Glider' which was on loan from Belfast last year - an example of the sort of bus which could serve the new BRT Bus services in the East Midlands region will be boosted by the funding, thanks to the £2 billion handed to it today by the government. Some of that allocation will be used for a rapid transit network on the Trent Arc between Nottingham and Derby. Between the two cities, the Freeport, Infinity Park Investment Zone and Ratcliffe-on-Soar will also benefit from the improved bus services. South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority's newly announced commitment towards bus franchising has been boosted by £350 million in funding as part of that region's allocation. The funding for West Yorkshire will help build new bus stations in Bradford and Wakefield. Likewise, the Tees Valley Mayoral Authority will put its sum towards a new £15 million bus station in Middlesbrough. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander says: "Today marks a watershed moment on our journey to improving transport across the North and Midlands – opening up access to jobs, growing the economy and driving up quality of life as we deliver our Plan for Change. "For too long, people in the North and Midlands have been locked out of the investment they deserve. With £15.6bn of government investment, we’re giving local leaders the means to drive cities, towns and communities forward, investing in Britain’s renewal so you and your family are better off."
TfGM’s all-electric bus plan boosted by new £15.6 billion package
News
Local Transport Minister opens First Bus electric depot in Hengrove
Local Transport Minister opens First Bus electric depot in Hengrove
Bus
Contract pricing conundrum for coach and bus
Contract pricing conundrum: Unlikely to get easier any time soon
Editor's Comment
- Advertisement -
-

routeone magazine is the indispensable resource for professional UK coach, bus and minibus operators. The home of vehicle sales and the latest bus and coach job vacancies, routeone connects professional PCV operators with complete and unrivalled news coverage.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • GDPR Policy
  • Sustainability
  • Advertise
  • Latest Issue
  • Share Your News
routeonerouteone
Follow US
© 2024 routeone News | Powered by Diversified Business Communications UK Ltd