Bee Network integrates all city buses, sets sights on commuter trains
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham hailed a “historic moment” for regional transport after completing work to bring all outstanding local bus services under local control.
The move will see ticket prices standardised and capped at £2 per journey and the simplification of bus travel for the network’s users.
By the end of March 2025, more than half of Bee Network buses will be new and 75% of the fleet will have been upgraded within the past four years.
The first phase was delivered on time and on budget, while passenger numbers increased by 5% over the past 12 months, according to the GMCA.
With all 1,600 buses across 577 routes now integrated, the first phase of the Bee Network – and Burnham’s vision of a London-style transport system for Greater Manchester – is complete.
Burnham said: “The Bee Network is integral to the overall success of the city-region and Greater Manchester’s strategy to support a growing population by building 175,000 new homes and creating 100,000 new jobs.
“Greater Manchester is currently the growth success story of the UK. We have an £80bn economy, a growing population and world-leading business, and our rate of growth is outstripping that of the South East.
“But we will only be able to reach our full potential and make life better for all our residents, with a world-class public transport system.”
Phase two of the Bee Network – the integration of eight commuter rail lines – will now begin.
The rail lines will be part of the network by 2028. These are: https://www.
1. Wigan via Atherton
2. Wigan via Bolton
3. Wigan via Golborne
4. Manchester Airport
5. Alderley Edge and Buxton via Stockport
6. Glossop, Hadfield and Rose Hill Marple via Guide Bridge
7. Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge
8. Rochdale
Read more about plans to expand the Bee Network
The second phase will also deliver the first new train stations to the city-region in more than 20 years, including in Golborne and Cheadle.
Heidi Alexander, secretary of state for transport, said: “Greater Manchester’s Bee Network is a trailblazer in delivering better bus services for passengers and we want local authorities across the country to look at it as a shining example of what can be achieved through local control.
“For too long, too many people have suffered from unreliable and infrequent services.”
She added: “People across Greater Manchester now have buses they can depend on. With our Bus Services Bill and £1bn in support for services across the country, we will help ensure that similar success reaches across the country.”
In line with improvements in bus services, Greater Manchester’s Metrolink has seen passenger numbers rise around 20% over the past year with November 2024’s 4.28m journeys being the network’s busiest ever month in its 33-year history.
Other steps have also been taken to better services – changes to routes, improvements to punctuality, and the reduction of ticket prices by 15% – have all contributed to the Bee Network’s success, the GMCA said.
