Buses from Manchester to Leigh to run 24/7 as plans announced for new all-night service

Ahead of the rollout of the second phase of the Bee Network, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham announced it would include a pilot providing 24/7 bus services on two routes.

This would include the V1, which runs from Manchester Infirmary, through the city centre and on to Tyldesley and Leigh via the guided busway, and the 36 from Piccadilly Gardens to Bolton.

Mr Burnham said: “We are working towards the launch of a 24/7 night-time bus service pilot to ensure that people working in hospitality, manufacturing, healthcare or any number of other roles can get to and from work safely using public transport.

“That will be launching later this year and it’s been made possible by the introduction of bus franchising. We will be looking to pilot the scheme on a phase one route which is going to include the V1 and 36. The details are currently being developed and are subject to further engagement, but it will provide us with a blueprint as to what can be achieved as a part of the Bee Network in support of people in Greater Manchester.”

Daytime fares and tickets would apply on night services, so a single trip would cost £2.

Services could run hourly to fill the gap in current provision – between 1am and 5am – seven days a week.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is said to be working with partners to make sure people feel safe on these services.

Greater Manchester transport commissioner Vernon Everitt said: "We are looking at the introduction of night bus services as a pilot to provide support for people working in the night-time economy, or who have shifts starting or ending in the early hours of the morning. It’s important people have a safe and cost-effective way of getting to and from work when they need it. Greater Manchester is a 24-hour city and should have a public transport system to match that.”

The Bee Network – Greater Manchester’s version of an integrated, “London-style” transport system – was launched in September and saw bus services in Wigan, Bolton and parts of Bury and Salford brought under public control for the first time in nearly 40 years.

It is set to expand on March 24 to take in services in Oldham, Rochdale and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester.

The change will mean 324 bus routes – 188 routes in phase one and 136 routes in phase two – totalling 50 per cent of the bus network in Greater Manchester, will be managed by TfGM as part of the Bee Network.

The second phase will also see a new journey planner and bus tracker function on the Bee Network app; a further 30 TravelSafe support and enforcement officers recruited to patrol franchised bus services, bus stations and interchanges; and 50 more new zero-emission buses and 84 new fully-branded Bee Network buses.

It paves the way for a fully integrated network across Greater Manchester by January 2025.