Buses across Greater Manchester have all joined the Bee Network, which will see them brought back under local control with cheaper and simpler bus fares. From January 5, Bee Network buses will run across the whole of the city-region for the first time, with more than 250 routes in Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and parts of Manchester and Salford joining the yellow bus network.
More than half the buses (54%) set to run on routes joining the Bee Network in the south of Greater Manchester will be new vehicles, rising to 66% in April.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Our mission, when we set out to build the Bee Network, was to make getting around Greater Manchester easier, cheaper and more reliable. Doing so will mean we connect people to education, jobs and each other like never before. We’re sticking to that promise.
“We’re cutting the price of travel to get more people on board and putting an end to the complicated and disjointed tickets that people have previously struggled with.
“Whilst next week will be an important step our journey, we’re not letting up on delivering even more improvements. The rollout of tap in, tap out contactless across bus and tram in March – with clear daily and weekly caps – will be a major moment for in creating the London-style, integrated public transport system we set out to.”
What is the Bee Network?
The Bee Network is TfGM’s move to a simplified, integrated and cheaper fare structure linking different modes of transport together and is Greater Manchester’s plan for a ‘London-style’, high volume, low fare, transport system, which will transform the way people travel across the city region. The scheme, which first launched back in September 2023, saw the city-region become the first area to bring buses under local control for the first time in almost 40 years, rolling out bright yellow buses as part of the process.
How much will bus fares cost?
As a result of all Greater Manchester bus services becoming part of the Bee Network, a new fare structure – aimed at being easier to understand and cheaper for all passengers – will be launched.
- All single fares on any Bee Network bus will cost just £2 for adults and £1 for children, despite the national cap rising to £3
- Every single fare will also become a ‘hopper’, meaning passengers can use the ticket to ‘hop on’ as many Bee Network buses as they like within one hour of purchase
- Unlimited travel on all Bee Network buses will also become cheaper:
- 1 day Bee Bus ticket: £5 adult / £2.50 child
- 7 day Bee Bus ticket: £20 adult / £10 child (down from £21 and £10.50)
- 28 day Bee Bus ticket: £80 adult / £40 child (down from £84.50 and £42.70
- A new Bee Bus Annual ticket will, for the first time, provide unlimited travel on all Bee Network buses for a year for just £2.20 a day. Offering a saving of up to £240, people can buy up front or spread the cost weekly and monthly through participating Credit Unions across Greater Manchester.
Which bus routes have been introduced to the Bee Network?
The below bus services in Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and the remaining parts of Manchester and Salford joined the Bee Network on 5 January 2025.
7: Ashton – Droylsden – Reddish – Stockport
11: Altrincham – Wythenshawe – Stockport
15: Flixton – Urmston – Manchester
23: Trafford Centre – Didsbury – Stockport
25: Trafford Centre – Chorlton – Stockport
38: Logistics North – Walkden – Manchester
42: Stockport – East Didsbury – Manchester
42A: Reddish – East Didsbury – Manchester
42B: Woodford – East Didsbury –Manchester
42C: Handforth – Cheadle – East Didsbury – Manchester
43: Manchester Airport – Withington – Manchester
50/51: East Didsbury – Manchester –Salford Quays
76/76A: Oldham – Failsworth – Manchester
76B (previously 74): Hollinwood – Newton Heath – Manchester
85/85A: Chorlton – Alexandra Park – Manchester
86: Chorlton – Brook’s Bar – Manchester
87: Chorlton Green – Chorlton – Withington – Manchester
101: Wythenshawe – Northenden – Manchester
102/103: Manchester Airport – Wythenshawe – Manchester
111: Withington – Manchester
142: East Didsbury – University – Manchester
143: West Didsbury – University – Manchester
147: West Didsbury – Manchester
150: Gorton – Chorlton – Trafford Centre
191: Hazel Grove – Stockport – University – Manchester
192/X92: Hazel Grove –Stockport – Manchester
197: Stockport – Green End – Longsight – Manchester
201: Hattersley – Hyde – Manchester
202: Gee Cross – Hyde – Manchester
203: Stockport – Reddish – Manchester
205: Dane Bank – Manchester
216: Ashton – Droylsden – Manchester
219: Stalybridge – Ashton – Openshaw – Manchester
220/221: Stalybridge – Dukinfield – Manchester
230: Ashton – Littlemoss – Manchester
231: Ashton – Hartshead – Clayton – Manchester
237: Glossop – Stalybridge – Ashton
245: Trafford Centre – Stretford – Altrincham
247: Trafford Centre – Flixton – Altrincham
248 (previously 18): Manchester Airport – Sale – Trafford Park – Eccles
249 (previously 19): Wythenshawe – Sale – Altrincham
250: Trafford Centre – Old Trafford – Manchester
253/255: Partington – Flixton – Urmston – Manchester
254: Stretford – Davyhulme
256: Flixton – Stretford – Hulme – Manchester
263: Altrincham – Sale – Manchester
279/280: Altrincham – Dunham Massey/Lymm
281: Altrincham – Sale
282: Altrincham – Oldfield Brow Circular
283/284: Altrincham – Hale Moss Circular
285/286: Altrincham – Timperley Circular
287: Altrincham – Bowdon Vale Circular
288: Altrincham – Manchester Airport
309/310: Stockport – Edgeley – Cheadle – Adswood circular
312: Stockport – Bridge Hall – Cheadle
313: Manchester Airport – Cheadle Hulme –Stockport
314: Stockport – Offerton Circular
322: Stockport – Brinnington – Haughton Green
325: Stockport – Brinnington Circular
327: Stockport – Brinnington – Denton
330: Ashton – Hyde – Stockport
335: Ashton – Denton – Dane Bank
336/337: Ashton – Hazelhurst Circulars
339: Ashton – Waterloo circular
341: Glossop – Hattersley – Hyde
342/344: Hyde – Gee Cross Circulars
343: Oldham – Lees – Stalybridge – Hyde
345: Ashton – Denton Circular
346: Hyde – Ashton
347: Ashton – Haughton Green Circular
356: Oldham – Denshaw – Uppermill – Ashton
358/360: Hayfield – Strines – Marple – Stockport
364: Stockport – Woodbank Park Circular
368: Wythenshawe Hospital – Cheadle Hulme –Stockport
370/371: Altrincham – Cheadle – Stockport
374: Hazel Grove – Davenport – Stockport
378/379/378A: Cheadle Hulme – Bramhall – Stockport
382: Woodley – Romiley – Bredbury – Stockport
383/384: Stockport – Marple Circular
385: Mellor – Stockport
387: Hyde – Stalybridge – Ashton
389: Ashton – Stalybridge – Dukinfield – Yew Tree
396: Middleton – Chadderton – Ashton
X50: Trafford Centre – Manchester
What’s next for the Bee Network?
Next up will be the launch of contactless payments across both Bee Network buses and trams on March 23, 2025. The move will transform the experience for passengers, who will be able to tap in and tap out on buses and trams and know that they’ll always pay the best fare over the day or week.
Much like London, the tram element of the cap will work using the existing zones (four Metrolink zones in total). People will be charged the cap depending on how many zones they’ve travelled through by tram, with the added bonus of being able to use any bus, anywhere in Greater Manchester.
The move will see a maximum daily cap of £9.50 and weekly cap of £41 for unlimited bus and tram travel anywhere in Greater Manchester introduced from March, with off peak options costing even less.
Greater Manchester is also turning its attention to rail, with plans to also bring eight commuter lines into the Bee Network by 2028, with more by 2030. This would unlock tap in tap out ticketing across bus, tram and train.