Stagecoach marks end of Magic Bus brand in Greater Manchester

Marking an end to the Magic Bus identity formed part of commemorations by Stagecoach Manchester as it handed over depots at Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde Road and Sharston to Metroline via the third tranche of franchising in Greater Manchester from 5 January.

The Magic Bus brand had been present in the conurbation since 1996, being deployed soon after Stagecoach purchased the former GM Buses South operation. Since then, it has been carried by what the operator says is over 1,000 buses, covering more than 65 million miles and utilising above 8,000 drivers.

Stagecoach first introduced the Magic Bus name in Scotland during the 1980s and later spread it to multiple other areas, but in its overall blue form the concept was inexorably linked with the then-highly competitive Greater Manchester market.

More recently Magic Bus has used an adapted version of Stagecoach corporate livery, but an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 recently gained the trademark blue scheme with yellow branding to mark the identity’s demise. Alongside buses in other commemorate liveries, it was used on 4 January from Hyde Road depot in the hours leading to the handover.

Magic Bus in Manchester debuted on the Wilmslow Road corridor, where heavy competition was underway. It later expanded to other areas and utilised a variety of vehicles, including both indigenous examples and others from much farther afield.

Among the latter were tri-axle Leyland and Dennis double-deckers imported from Hong Kong and Kenya respectively, although a pair of similarly large Leylands that were built for Stagecoach in the UK also joined the operation.

Later the Magic Bus brand in Manchester again focused solely on Wilmslow Road and was operated with a fleet of Alexander Dennis Enviro400H double-deckers.

Also celebrated by the group ahead of it handing over the three depots to Metroline via the final tranche of franchising were other phases in the life of what became the Stagecoach Manchester business.

A trio of other Enviro400s were given commemorative liveries. One carried the GM Buses South scheme that was in use at the point Stagecoach purchased that operation in 1996, while another was resplendent in the Greater Manchester PTE colours that were phased out in the 1980s.

Making up the quadruplet was a double-decker in original Stagecoach stripes. Numerically the group’s first Enviro400, it started life in Manchester in 2006 before moving on. Stripes were applied during its time in South West England.

After completion of service on 4 January, the ‘stripes’ bus will be donated by Stagecoach to the Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester. A member of the museum’s existing former GM Buses South fleet, a Leyland Atlantean double-decker, appeared on that day alongside the four Enviro400s to mark the end of the deregulated era in the conurbation.

Fellow Bee Network operator Go North West has also adopted a number of heritage liveries on buses that are utilised for crew transport and route learning but not on franchised duties.

Although Stagecoach Manchester has bid farewell to four depots via the Bee Network shake-up, it gained contracts for others and continues to operate franchised services in the region from garages at Middleton, Oldham, Queens Road and Stockport.

Managing Director Rob Jones describes the completion of Bee Network rollout as “a landmark moment for Manchester’s transport,” noting that Stagecoach services “have been part of the city’s story for years” and that “we are immensely proud of what we have achieved.”

Adds Stagecoach Group CEO Claire Miles: “For over 25 years, Stagecoach Manchester has connected communities and delivered dependable, affordable travel, with the Magic Bus becoming an iconic symbol of the city.

“As we see a shift to the Bee Network, we take pride in the legacy we have built and thank our dedicated staff and customers for their support.” While the Magic Bus brand has come to an end, “its place in the hearts of Manchester will never be forgotten,” she concludes.