Buzzing Around Greater Manchester - Again!
Part Four
12 July 2025
ABOVE: Bee Network - Stagecoach Manchester 11898 (YX74 OMA), an ADL Enviro400 City, has just dropped off at Stockport Interchange, after a journey on route 330 from Ashton-under-Lyne. All photos in this article were taken on Tuesday 6 May 2025.
I don't want to be out all night...
I'm having a ride around the outer edge of Greater Manchester - it's a two-day journey that started yesterday morning at the Trafford Centre - see Parts One, Two and Three. I have covered the west and north of the city, and am now on the eastern side, at Ashton-under-Lyne.
I'm enjoying the journey (very much), and it's not yet 2pm, but I am conscious that there is still a lot of ground to cover before I get to the finish line. The last bus I am planning to catch becomes hourly in the evenings; the journey is 100% finishable but I don't relish a lot of standing around if delays push me well into the evening.
But I can be stubborn, so, once again, I reject an obvious time-saving short-cut (the 330 to Stockport), in favour of my planned 387 to Hyde. This hourly service is due to depart at 1357. This bus is expected more-or-less on time, but there is a warning of possible disruption to come:
I'm having a ride around the outer edge of Greater Manchester - it's a two-day journey that started yesterday morning at the Trafford Centre - see Parts One, Two and Three. I have covered the west and north of the city, and am now on the eastern side, at Ashton-under-Lyne.
I'm enjoying the journey (very much), and it's not yet 2pm, but I am conscious that there is still a lot of ground to cover before I get to the finish line. The last bus I am planning to catch becomes hourly in the evenings; the journey is 100% finishable but I don't relish a lot of standing around if delays push me well into the evening.
But I can be stubborn, so, once again, I reject an obvious time-saving short-cut (the 330 to Stockport), in favour of my planned 387 to Hyde. This hourly service is due to depart at 1357. This bus is expected more-or-less on time, but there is a warning of possible disruption to come:
For those who don't know, the M60 is the orbital motorway around Manchester, so the lack of any specific details about where the accident has happened is unhelpful - it could be right in the area I am heading for next, or it could be over on the other side of the city. My journey ahead may be disrupted. And I especially don't fancy experiencing the threatened "sever" delays - sounds distinctly uncomfortable...
The good news is that my 387 to Hyde turns up as promised. The six-minute break that the driver should be entitled to is completely wiped out but we're just two minutes late leaving on this short-length ADL Enviro200 of Go North West. After another close encounter with Tameside General Hospital (see Part Three), we head into Stalybridge.
I only really know Stalybridge as one end of the once-a-week railway service from Stockport. A true Parliamentary Train that is the only service to call at Denton and Reddish South stations. But Stalybridge has many claims to fame. It became one of the first centres of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution, when a water-powered cotton mill was constructed in 1776. The wealth created in the 19th-century from the factory-based cotton industry transformed an area of scattered farms and homesteads into a prosperous town.
As I pass through, I am curious about Armentieres Square, and wonder what the connection is to the northern French town of Armentières, right on the Belgian border - a town that suffered especially badly during the two World Wars.
It turns out to relate to nothing more than the twinning of the two towns in 1955. Sounds like a good choice, as Armentières in France was once known as the "City of Fabric"; industrial weaving, spinning and brewing all developed there.
We move on to Hattersley, a housing estate 1.5 miles from Hyde. Much of the territory around here is countrified - the North West Green Belt stretches to the north and east and we're only a mile or so from the Derbyshire border. It's also very hilly. Another twisty, turny bit of routing sees us almost doubling back on ourselves - stops on Stockport Road and at St Barnabus Church are only a few hundred yards apart, but there are seven minutes and 12 intermediate stops between them where the 387 is concerned!
ABOVE: The sign for Hattersley railway station can be seen in this view from the 387 bus, which has just undertaken a 270-degree turn from the main road in the picture into this one!
We arrive into Hyde Bus Staion one minute late, at 1455. From here, I haven't identified an alternative to the direct 330 service to Stockport, so that's what I'm now after. I've just missed one - it's at the Bus Station exit, but the service is frequent so it won't be a long wait.
Sure enough, the bus turns up at 1508 - a busy service as the school run is starting to kick in.
Last time I came this way (see the earlier articles here and here), this service was still outside the Bee Network, with Tranche Three a few months away from implementation. Stagecoach Manchester retained this service at the changeover, and some of the buses in use are the same ones - now suitably repainted of course. Some newer vehicles accompany them.
ABOVE: A Wright StreetDeck Ultroliner on route 330 heads for Ashton-under-Lyne, as my ADL Enviro400 MMC demonstrates how it is possible to provide legally-required information without intruding on window views. This is Dowson Road, near Gee Cross.
Traffic is building up as we approach Stockport and we arrive at the Interchange six minutes later than scheduled, at 1548.
ABOVE: The famous Stockport Railway Viaduct, dating from 1840 with 27 brick arches and standing 111 feet high. You might just be able to pick out the top of a train passing through.
It's whilst in Stockport Interchange that I spot this Stagecoach Manchester ADL E400 MMC in a commemorative livery to support the Armed Forces, Families and Veterans. Hugely appropriate to stumble across this in the week of the VE 80 commemorations.
ABOVE: Bee Network - Stagecoach Manchester 10429 (SL64 JCV), in Stockport Interchange on single-vehicle route 327 to Denton.
There are more warnings here about those "sever" delays. My next bus, on route 368 to Wythenshawe, is due at 1556, but is showing as 11 minutes late. This brings it close to the next departure, due at 1613, and currently "on time". The departure time of the 1558 varies as the wait continues, but there's still no sign of it. It disappears from the list at 1610. The 1613 is now showing as late as well, and this one also vanishes from the board. A youngster behind me calls someone to say that he "may need a lift".
A bus arrives at 1617 and starts loading. It is a 2012 Metroline ADL E400H in the colours of its previous owner, Stagecoach Manchester. It's a big crowd by now and it takes four minutes to get everyone on board. We pull out at 1621 and then lose at least another minute sitting at a red traffic light, waiting to leave the Interchange. There is zero traffic in the vicinity and an alternative form of traffic control here would surely be more effective.
The 368 starts off heading south out of town, towards the Town Hall and the college. It's fairly quiet for the time of day.
ABOVE: Wellington Road South in Stockport. The Town Hall stands proudly in the centre distance.
We're not on the main road for long, but it is long enough to catch sight of one of High Peak's new vehicles for route 199 (Buxton to Manchester Airport):
ABOVE: High Peak 5203 (YX25 OJV), an ADL Enviro200 MMC, heads up Wellington Lane South, for Stockport and Manchester Airport, whilst working route 199. Behind is a Diamond Bus Optare Solo on route 385 (Mellor to Stockport)
As we edge out of town, the traffic becomes heavier, and a possible reason for the delays presents itself:
ABOVE: Bee Network - Stagecoach Manchester 10596 (SN16 OUM), passes along Edgeley Road in Stockport, on route 11 (Altrincham to Stockport)
This is a very busy journey - hardly surprising as it's nearly half an hour late and probably losing more time as we go. Cheadle Hulme is described as a suburb in "the large village" of Cheadle. Quite a village - the 2011 population was almost 26,500!
It's somewhere round here that I see a smart, all-white Scania double-decker on route 158 to Davenport. I make a note to check this service as it has no "Bee Network" markings. I am aware that school bus services are not required to carry such markings, and it is the right time of day for a school service, but I've not been able to find any record of this operation anywhere.
We come to Heald Green, with half the population of Cheadle Hulme. We're only a mile from the north-east end of the runway at Manchester Airport.
ABOVE: Heald Green
We turn to the north, away from the airport, through Peel Hall.
ABOVE: Bee Network - Metroline WDS 317 (MJ74 JMX) passes along Peel Hall Road working route 368 towards Stockport. Behind it is fellow WDS 358 (LV74 THU), working route 103 (Piccadilly Gardens to Manchester Airport)
I've never been far from the Manchester Metrolink during the course of this trip, and it's very evident on this part of the journey, where the once-wide roads evidently made installation much more straight-forward than in other areas. It's a sharp turn for a tram on the outskirts of Wythenshawe, though.
ABOVE: Bee Network - Metroline WDS 300 (MF74 NTA), another Wright StreetDeck Ultroliner, follows the tram route from Poundswick Lane to Brownley Road in Wythenshawe. I featured route 43, long before the Bee Network, in an earlier article - see BusesTopDeck.co.uk/078
My 368 arrives at Wythenshawe Interchange at 1718, exactly half an hour late. The driver has done well not to build further delay during the journey, but he's still got a mountain to climb to recover the lost time. Another 368, presumably the 1613 departure from Stockport, pulls in behind; due at 1705 so a mere 13 minutes late. This one is in the erstwhile Magic Bus livery that was used by Stagecoach Manchester for certain corridors - once offering cheap fares although the brand lost some of its 'oomph' when the £2 maximum fare was brought in across Manchester.
It's not the only Magic Bus to be found here either...
ABOVE: Stagecoach Manchester 12189 (MX62 GGP), an ADL Enviro400H at Wythenshawe Interchange
I've not kept a note of the bus that I was intending to catch for the next stage, to Altrincham. All that I can recall is that, as I reach the stand, it's over 20 minutes away, and there's a number 11 for Altrincham here now, loading up. I decide to take this one instead. This is a Stagecoach liveried vehicle, in this case still working for Stagecoach Manchester.
It's 1723 so this is presumably the scheduled 1715 service. I could have taken this directly from Stockport (it should have left there at 1625). In this case I chose against it because I have used this route before. At this stage, though, in Wythenshawe, I am keen to get to Altrincham before the evening service frequency kicks in on my last route.
By the time we reach Timperley, we are in the Borough of Trafford, but that doesn't mean there isn't still some ground to cover. The name Timperley derives from Timber Leah, the Anglo-Saxon (Old English) for a "clearing in the forest". Timperley was a predominantly agricultural settlement before the Industrial Revolution, focusing mainly on arable crops.
ABOVE: Bee Network - Stagecoach Manchester 11914 (YX74 OMU) on Aimson Road East in Timperley
The 11 is a long route - the best part of an hour-and-three-quarters from Stockport to Altrincham. The bus is 10 minutes late on arrival into Altrincham Interchange. My part of the journey has taken 55 minutes - two minutes longer than scheduled.
ABOVE: Altrincham Interchange
It's quite a smart and comfortable envionment at the bus part of Altrincham Interchange. There's plenty of glass to bring in the daylight. Behind the bus part (to the right in the photo below) are the platforms for the tram and, beyond those, the national rail network (Manchester to Chester route). There's a clock tower outside, dating from 1880 and now Grade-II listed.
|
|
I have timed things well. Not only have I avoided a potential wait of up to an hour, but I have a choice of buses in the next few minutes to get me to the Trafford Centre. My preference is the 245 service, as I haven't done that one before; the 1836 is the last departure (thare are later journeys between Stretford and Trafford). But there is also the 247, due at 1848.
Indications are that the 247 might come first. The departure board is suggesting that the 245 is delayed until 1853. The problem is that the two routes go from different stops = the 247 goes from C and the 245 from E - they're quite a long way apart (you can see stop C in my photo above - stop E is as far behind me).
I wait somewhere between the two, to see what happens. And, just a moment after its due time, and a long time ahead of 1853, the 245 turns up. The five mile per hour speed limit outside is the saving grace - it gives me time to get to the stop ahead of the bus!
ABOVE: Interior of the 245, showing standard Bee Network fixtures and fittings.
This last journey is with Metroline, using a modern ADL Enviro200 MMC. It's a fairly unremarkable journey, but quite busy.
Sale sits on the southern bank of the River Mersey, although the river is relatively insignificant here, and nothing like the tour de force that it becomes further west. It's been a settlement for a long time - a fourth-century hoard of 46 Roman coins was discovered in nearby Ashton-upon-Mersey, one of four known hoards dating from that period discovered within the Mersey basin.
Stretford was an agricultural village in the 19th century, and was known locally as Porkhampton, due to the large number of pigs offered from here for the Manchester markets. It was also an extensive market-gardening area, producing vast quantities of vegetables each week, again for sale in Manchester. The arrival of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894 accelerated the industrialisation.
We come to Urmston, a small farming community until the coming of the railway.
We reach the Trafford Centre at 1921 - on time and 10 minutes before the 247 is due in! This marks journey's end - I've completed my circuit! Peak shopping time is over but the Centre is still open and there are plenty of people about.
ABOVE: The Trafford Centre Bus Station
It has taken me 13 hours (well, one minute under) to complete this circuit, in terms of time actually travelling. I've used 16 buses (nine have been double-deckers) and it's probably been 130-140 miles right round. But, with the daily £5.00 fare cap, the whole adventure has only cost me a tenner.
ABOVE: A twilight view of The Trafford Centre Bus Staion
So how has the Bee Network settled down? Very well indeed, in my view. There's a clear sense that this is a coherent, city-wide network. Many of the buses are brand-new and there's a general feeling of a quality operation.
Clearly there are still vehicle changes and upgrades to complete following Tranche Three's introduction in January, and it is noticeable how many more buses in old liveries are still running in the south of the city, where most services are part of Tranche Three. This will settle down over time and I expect things will look far more coherent, and a lot yellower, by the time of my next visit.
I obviously picked up a lot of photos of Bee Network buses on this trip. One of my favourites was an almost accidental view of a mixed allocation, right at the end of the day as I was returning to my hotel:
ABOVE: Bee Network - Go North West 6151 (WA12 ACJ), a Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse 2, heads away from The Trafford Centre on route 22 to Bolton, whilst a Wright StreetDeck Ultroliner provides an extra deck for the incoming service on the same route. This is near the Ellesmere Circle roundabout, just outside The Trafford Centre itself.
Next visit I probably need to go deeper into the City Centre, and the many services that provide the core links from the centre to the suburbs. Or maybe go around the inner suburbs in a circle. Now there's an idea...
I deliberately set out to avoid the area designated as "Manchester City Centre", as I failed last time when I took a short-cut from Trafford to Stockport to make up lost time. Did I succeed this time? Let's have a look at the map:
And the answer this time is yes - I avoided the City of Manchester!
Well, I did what I set out to do - no short cuts this time. I admit that things looked a little daunting on Tuesday morning when I had nine rides ahead of me, but I didn't encounter any delays - "sever" or otherwise, so was able to finish at a reasonable time!
I look forward to the next trip to Greater Manchester, whenever it may be...
BELOW: A tidier version of the map, with only the key points marked:
