
Mayor Andy Burnham has set out a step-by-step plan to bring a number of Greater Manchester train stations into the Bee Network by 2028, working with the rail industry. It is the next stage of the mayor’s joined-up ‘London-style’ public transport system, with 96 stations expected to join the Bee Network in the next five years.
Developed in partnership with the rail industry, Department for Transport (DfT) and Shadow Great British Rail, Greater Manchester’s proposition is for eight commuter rail lines, covering 64 stations, to be brought into the Bee Network in three phases, delivering major improvements to the city-region’s train stations, services and passenger experience – including integrated capped fares across bus, tram and train.
Under the plan, the first two lines – connecting Manchester to Glossop and Stalybridge – will join by December 2026. A further 32 stations and all lines within Greater Manchester would join by 2030. The approach is expected to boost the number of trips by train by 1.3 million each year, with more people choosing public transport and more services running later and at the weekend.
According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) by 2028, the plan for Bee Network rail integration is scheduled to deliver tap in, tap out ticketing, simpler fares across bus, tram and train, Bee Network stations and trains, new homes and regeneration around stations, service improvements, a step-change in making stations accessible for all passengers and new rail stations.
Which commuter rail lines will part of the Bee Network?
The eight commuter Bee Network Rail lines are:
- Rochdale stopping services (Local trains that call at stations between Manchester and Rochdale)
- Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge
- Glossop, Hadfield and Rose Hill Marple via Guide Bridge
- Alderley Edge and Buxton via Stockport
- Airport stopping services (Local trains that call at stations between Manchester and Manchester Airport)
- Wigan via Golborne
- Wigan via Atherton (Local trains continuing on to Southport)
- Wigan via Bolton (Local trains continuing on to Southport)
Which Greater Manchester train stations will join the Bee Network and when?
First 64 stations to join the Bee Network by 2028
Appley Bridge
Ardwick
Ashburys
Ashton-under-Lyne
Atherton
Broadbottom
Burnage
Castleton
Cheadle Hulme
Clifton
Daisy Hill
Davenport
Deansgate
Dinting
East Didsbury
Eccles
Fairfield
Farnworth
Flowery Field
Gathurst
Gatley
Glossop
Godley
Gorton
Guide Bridge
Hadfield
Hag Fold
Hattersley
Hazel Grove
Heald Green
Heaton Chapel
Hindley
Hyde Central
Hyde North
Ince
Kearsley
Manchester Airport
Manchester Oxford Road
Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Victoria
Mauldeth Road
Middlewood
Mills Hill
Moorside
Moses Gate
Moston
Newton for Hyde
Patricroft
Rochdale
Romiley
Rose Mill Marple
Salford Central
Salford Crescent
Stalybridge
Swinton
Walkden
Westhoughton
Wigan North Western
Wigan Wallgate
Woodley
Woodsmoor
The 32 further stations to join the Bee Network by 2030
Altrincham
Belle Vue
Blackrod
Bramhall
Bredbury
Brinnington
Bromley Cross
Bryn
Chassen Road
Flixton
Glazebrook
Greenfield
Hale
Hall-i’-th’-Wood
Horwich Parkway
Humphrey Park
Irlam
Littleborough
Lostock Parkway
Marple
Mossley
Navigation Road
Orrell
Pemberton
Reddish North
Reddish South
Ryder Brow
Smithy Bridge
Strines
Trafford Park
Urmston
Phased approach to Bee Network rail
- Phase 1 [By December 2026]: Contactless tap in tap out ticketing across 17 stations on the first two lines between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge, and Manchester Piccadilly and Glossop. Passengers will also see a trial of Bee Network branded trains, stations brought up to Bee Network standards, and flagship stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Stalybridge showcasing the integrated approach in action.
- Phase 2 [By December 2027]: Rollout of tap in tap out ticketing on a further two lines, including services connecting Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport, Alderley Edge and Buxton via Stockport. The stations on these corridors will join the Bee Network, with a flagship station at Manchester Airport, creating an international travel hub as the gateway to the city-region.
- Phase 3 [By December 2028]: Services on the Rochdale, Wigan via Atherton (onward to Southport), Wigan via Bolton (onward to Southport) and Wigan via Golborne lines enter the Bee Network, with these stations being upgraded to the new standard.
The same approach will then be applied to the remaining Greater Manchester stations by 2030.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Our rail system today is acting as a brake on growth and, as the UK’s fastest growing city-region, Greater Manchester deserves better. We need a railway that is reliable and fully integrated with the rest of the Bee Network to drive growth and deliver new homes with public transport connections on the doorstep.
“Building on the success of bringing our buses back under local control, we’re planning a phased approach to bringing eight commuter lines and their stations into the Bee Network. It will start with lines between the city centre and Glossop and Stalybridge and then expand each year between now and 2028.
“Our plan puts passengers first by delivering a simplified, joined-up public transport network, with better services, stations and overall experience. Only by making travel by train more reliable, simpler, flexible and accessible to everyone, will we convince more people to leave the car at home and make the switch to the Bee Network.
“Delivering change on the railways is notoriously complex, but our phased plan has been drawn up with and has the backing of the rail industry. We’ll continue to work with government – as Great British Rail is established – to support them on the national reform of the railways, enacting the rail powers outlined in the English Devolution White Paper and supporting the Government’s agenda.”