Fleet of new yellow buses set to take to the streets on 5 January, as Greater Manchester takes full control of its bus network
Approval of £71 million to bolster the fleet with dozens more Bee Network buses heading to the city-region
Ministry of Defence bases in Greater Manchester to be used to store the fleet ahead of the big day
Mayor Andy Burnham gives leaders a major update on how the vision for the Bee Network is becoming a reality
An army of yellow buses is being assembled as Greater Manchester prepares to take full control of its bus network from early next year.
The overall age and standard of buses serving communities in Greater Manchester is improving under the Bee Network, with Greater Manchester able to set vehicle specifications for franchised services.
Hundreds of new buses, with enhanced accessibility features, are already in service, and work is well underway to ensure a fleet of state-of-the-art vehicles are ready for when the remaining 48% of bus services - including those in Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and parts of Manchester and Salford - join the network from 5 January 2025.
The first of 140 new buses, built in the UK has now started to arrive at six Ministry of Defence (MOD) sites that will be used to store new buses between now and the all-important launch date.
The arrival of these new buses comes as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) last week approved plans to invest £71 million to further expand and bolster the fleet, delivering a step change in the experience for passengers with new, cleaner and accessible buses.
The decision paves the way for the purchase of 94 zero emission electric buses (ZEBs) and 72 Euro VI buses from Stagecoach. Between six and nine months old, the Euro VI vehicles are compliant with the government’s clean air framework and will improve fleet standards by replacing older buses, as well as providing additional buses to strengthen services.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said: “We’re pulling out all the stops to ensure we hit the ground running on 5 January. It will be a huge moment in realising our ambitions for the Bee Network and see Greater Manchester once again making history.
“Taking back control of all bus services in Greater Manchester is a complex and major undertaking - we are effectively doubling the size of the franchised bus network overnight. There’ll no doubt be some bumps along the road, but it’s essential we ready our fleet of modern yellow buses to hit the streets. They will help deliver that step change our residents expect and deserve from their public transport network; cheaper, cleaner, safer and more reliable services.
“It’s all part our joined-up plan to deliver our integrated Bee Network at pace. From introducing new services and encouraging more people to use public transport, to creating new jobs for our young people, we’re proving that local control of public transport not only delivers for our communities, but can drive economic growth at a local, regional and national level.”
The Bee Network is Greater Manchester’s vision for an integrated, affordable and accessible public transport and active travel network, and as the first area to bring buses under local control in almost 40 years, the city-region continues to lead the way on a new era of public transport investment – one that underpins economic growth and creates new opportunities for residents and businesses.It’s been just over 12 months since the Bee Network was rolled out in the north and west of the city-region. Whilst there were inevitable teething problems as the new franchises bedded in, people in those areas have since seen their bus services improve markedly - with record numbers now using cheaper, cleaner, more reliable bus services, and new extended routes implemented.
Notable milestones include the launch of the Bee Network night bus pilot. Around 7,000 journeys were made on new V1 and 36 services in the first month, further boosting night time passenger numbers on the routes connecting Manchester with Leigh and Bolton via Salford.Last weekend saw the first new Bee Network service launch, connecting Wigan with Middlebrook retail park. The 615 – launched alongside other changes to local services – restores a link to the popular retail park that was lost four years ago.
Elsewhere, a new monthly Metrolink passenger record was set in May 2024, whilst Bee Network buses set their own record-breaking day on 6 September, with 305,000 journeys recorded. And it has recently been announced that contactless ‘touch in, touch out’ payments will go live from 23 March 2025, allowing passengers to travel seamlessly between bus and tram.
New jobs and training opportunities are also being created for Greater Manchester’s young people. Bus operators have hired 179 apprentices and Rochdale firm Mellors is one of three UK manufacturers building Bee Network buses to serve GM communities, with orders helping to fund the creation of 15 new apprentice roles there, too.
Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “The third and final stage of bus franchising in January marks a huge milestone in the delivery of the Bee Network - an integrated public transport and active travel system for the people and businesses of Greater Manchester. In March we’ll move on to deliver integrated ‘tap and go’ ticketing between Metrolink and buses and then we’ll focus on the integration of eight commuter rail lines into the Bee Network by 2028.”
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