ABOVE: Blackburn Bus Company 1869 (FJ58 LUA), a Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse 2, passes Edenfield Church of England Primary School on a journey on "Red Express" Route X41 from Accrington to Manchester. All photos in this article were taken on Tuesday 2 July 2024, unless otherwise stated.
Red Express: Manchester to Accrington
3 January 2026
Chorlton Street in Manchester may not be the most welcoming spot in the city, especially for those arriving from afar. The Coach Station that has stood here since 1950 is at least covered nowadays (with a multi-storey car park on top of it), but those coming into town on the longer-distance buses have to alight on the street outside the coach station. The road is wide, but the pavement itself is too narrow for the crowds that can form, especially when both the X41 to Accrington and the X43 to Burnley turn up together.
Maybe that's why the X41 was moved away, in September 2024, to terminate at Shudehill Bus Station, half a mile to the north as the crow flies. But, when I'm on Chorlton Street, in July 2024, that change is in the future, and the bus is jostling for space so that it can load up for the 1210 departure to Accrington.
I'm not even sure whether I was intending to catch this bus. I have ended up in Chorlton Street because I knew that the coach station would have a specific facility that is sadly lacking in other parts of Manchester City Centre. It's purely because I have found a double-decker, on a route that is usually scheduled for single-deckers, that I have made a sudden decision to go for it.
ABOVE: We are sharing this part of Cross Street, in Manchester City Centre, with the trams, but are about to turn left into Market Street, giving trams free rein to head along Corporation Street (directly in front of us) and on to Manchester Victoria. On the right is one of the main entrances to the famous Arndale Shopping Centre, originally constructed in the 1970s.
Accrington is just under 20 miles north-northwest of Manchester, and this journey will include a motorway run. But, unlike, say, Birmingham or Bristol, there is no quick motorway route out of the City Centre of Manchester to the north, and we must plough through the best part of five miles of local roads first in order to make our escape. Marketed as "Red Express" (I can find no reason for the nominated colour), we have a scheduled run of one hour and 19 minutes in front of us.
The bus is already four minutes late leaving Chorlton Street, and progress out of the City Centre is slow. I'm travelling on a 2012/13 Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 of the Blackburn Bus Company, a part of Transdev's significant empire in Lancashire and West Yorkshire. This route is not part of the Bee Network, nor will it become so; it's a long-distance route from way outside Greater Manchester's jurisdiction.
The first objective is to get to Bury New Road (the A56), which will carry us to the motorway. We pass close to HM Prison Manchester. Known to many as "Strangeways" (its former name), the Grade-II listed building was opened in 1869 on the former Strangeways Park & Gardens, from which it was named.
Now traversing down Bury New Road, we come to Higher Broughton where, although not visible from the main road, there is a nature reserve, Kersal Wetlands, just a short distance away. Created as part of a £10 million flood protection scheme, the site nestles inside the River Irwell, which turns abruptly back on itself here, such that it's only about 500 yards east-west across the diameter of the reserve at the north, and half that at the southern end.
ABOVE: Bee Network - Stagecoach Manchester 10859 (SN17 MKF), an ADL Enviro400 MMC, turns into Knoll Street, Higher Broughton, whilst working route 97 from Bury to Manchester.
ABOVE: Further along Bury New Road we find the Our Lady of Dolours Servite Parish Church. A "Sky Class" ADL Enviro400 MMC from the Burnley Bus Company is heading for central Manchester on route X43 from Burnley, with a similar vehicle in Bee Network colours behind.
Bury New Road roughly follows the line of a Roman road connecting forts at Mamucium (Manchester) and Bremetennacum (Ribchester, near Preston).
We are now approaching Prestwich, which is consistently named as one of the best places to live in the UK by the Sunday Times. Victoria Wood (1953-2016) - comedian, actress, musician, screenwriter and director was born here, as was Dame Arlene Phillips (born 1943) - choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, former television judge, presenter and dancer. Obviously a good breeding ground for multi-talented individuals!
ABOVE: Blackburn Bus Company 1865 (FJ58 LTT), a Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse 2 in a generic company livery, heads south on route X41 through Prestwich.
ABOVE: In the heart of Prestwich, Bee Network - Stagecoach Manchester 16852 (MX58 EBL), a Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini, calls in at the Longfield Centre on a run on route 98 from Bury. This vehicle has since transferred, still under the auspices of the Bee Network, to Metroline Manchester.
We finally make our escape to the motorway. We cover a very short stretch of the M60 Manchester Orbital before turning north onto the M66. This takes us close to, but not into, Bury Town Centre. Instead, we bypass, sometimes at a raised level.
ABOVE: Somewhere near the Fairfield area of Bury, a Bee Network Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Mellor Strata goes about its business.
We bypass pretty much the whole of Bury, exiting the motorway at the extreme north of the town, where we rejoin the A56.
This gives the first views of Ramsbottom.
Almost four miles north-west of Bury, and 12 miles from Manchester, Ramsbottom is right at the northern edge of Greater Manchester.
A number of Bronze Age burial sites have been found around the town, which is believed to have once been part of the Forest of Rossendale. The early Anglo-Saxons progressively felled the woodland during the Middle Ages.
The town developed during the 19th Century as a manufacturing and mill town, with mills built for spinning, weaving and printing.
ABOVE: Looking across the level crossing at Ramsbottom Station into Bridge Street
The Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway Company reached the town in 1846. The line was extended northwards to Rawtenstall and lasted until 1972. The heritage East Lancashire Railway took over the line between Bury, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall in 1987, and operates every weekend throughout the year, and on additional days in the summer.
ABOVE: Ramsbottom station, on Sunday 30 June 2024.
In the centre of the town is St Paul's Church. Established in 1844, it is another Grade-II listed structure.
At the Market Place stands the Ramsbottom Urn. Actually called "Tilted Vase" and weighing two tons, this sculpture by Edward Allington forms part of the Irwell Valley Sculpture Trail. It was unveiled in 1998 and draws its inspiration from the legacy of the Industrial Revolution:
ABOVE: Bee Network - Go North West 3279 (LX60 DWM), a Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, heads along Ramsbottom Lane on one of the two routes from Bury to Ramsbottom (the other being the 472).
We head out of Ramsbottom, and leave Greater Manchester for Lancashire. The scenery is delightful here, in the heart of the Irwell Valley.
A mile-and-a-quarter to the north of Ramsbottom is the village of Edenfield. The village centre sits at the intersection of three roads, from Bolton, Accrington / Rochdale, and Rawtenstall / Bury. Britain's second-largest onshore wind farm was built on Scout Moor, above Edenfield, in 2007-08.
ABOVE: Edenfield Village Centre
The name Haslingden means "valley of the hazels". Another mill town, conditions for factory workers here in the 19th century were described as "harsh", despite the Rossendale area being known as "The Golden Valley".
ABOVE: The centre of Haslingden
It's here that we bump into the frequent and busy route 464. Another service from the Blackburn Bus Company, this links Accrington with Rochdale, every 15 minutes. It will keep us company the rest of the way.
It's also around here that we get a brief downpour. It only lasts a short time, but makes the window a bit spotty for a while.
ABOVE: Blackburn Bus Company 280 (YJ68 FWE), an Optare Versa, heads out of Accrington on route 464.
We reach Accrington Bus Station, which stands underneath the railway viaduct. The bus has not been able to make up the lost time - it is seven minutes late here, arriving at 1336.
ABOVE: Blackburn Bus Company 2429 (BF62 UYL), a Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, pulls off the stand having just dropped passengers off at the end of the X41 ride. To the right is an Optare Versa of the Burnley Bus Company (all part of Transdev) on route M1 to Burnley
This has been a lovely ride, with the bonus of an unexpected top deck. Accrington itself is not, for me, the most vibrant of spots, but I've had a lovely time getting here!