Over the summer, Greater Manchester leaders agreed a financial package to maintain vital services for communities across the region.

The new contracts awarded by Transport for Greater Manchester replace the 31 routes earmarked for withdrawal, while most of the 33 services set to be reduced in frequency or have routes changed will also be replaced, except in a small number of cases where alternative services are available.

The new services will come into place from Sunday, October 30.

Changes to five Oldham bus routes will come in to force.

X84

The changes will see the X84 bus route, which travels between Manchester and Uppermill, completely withdrawn, with TfGM recommending that passengers take the 350 or 84 bus services instead.

81 and 81a

The 81a route, operated in the evenings by Stagecoach will no longer operate. The 81 will continue to operate under First.

This means the route will no longer serve Derker or Oldham Mumps in the evenings as it did previously, running between Oldham Bus Station and Manchester only.

Extra evening journeys from Derker to Oldham will be served by the 411 bus.

411

The 411 will now be operated by First instead of Stagecoach and will have additional evening journeys to replace the journeys no longer served by the 81.

The last weekday service on the 411 will operate from Oldham to Derker will now leave Oldham Bus Station at 23:34, rather than 19:00.

From Derker to Oldham, the last service is now at 23:46 instead of 19:13 – later than the previous last 81 service, which was at 22:52.

183

The 183 will now be operated by Stotts instead of Stagecoach, with some additional services. The first weekday bus will leave Royal Oldham Hospital at 09:30 outside of school holidays, whereas before it left at 08:57.

The final bus will leave Royal Oldham at 18:30 rather than 17:31.

From Limeside, the first service will operate at 07:00, five minutes earlier than the previous time.

On Saturdays it will operate hourly from Royal Oldham between 08:30 and 18:30, and from Limeside between 08:00 and 18:00, whereas before it operated 09:59 to 16:59 and 09:30 to 16:30, respectively.

59

The frequency of the 59 will be reduced to just five buses an hour, or once every 12 minutes Monday to Friday daytime.

Previously the service had six buses an hour, or every 10 minutes.

Transport for Greater Manchester

Stephen Rhodes, TfGM’s Director of Bus Services, said: “As we move towards delivering an integrated Bee Network, it was essential that we maintained these local services.

“Without an intervention, some communities would have been left with much reduced – or in some cases a complete lack of – bus services. This would have had a real impact on their ability to see friends and family, as well as access employment and education opportunities across the region.

“In most cases people won’t notice a difference, but there are some changes to times, frequencies and operator, so before these changes come into effect, I’d ask anyone who uses these services to check our website to make sure they have all the information they need before travelling.”

Amended timetables can be found on Transport for Greater Manchester’s website.

Full list

Services withdrawn

• 108 - Timperley - Brooklands - Northern Moor – Manchester
  • Alternative journeys available on services 41 and 101/103
• X58 - Flixton – Davyhulme – Lostock – Manchester
  • Alternative journeys available on service 256
• X84 - Carrcote – Uppermill – Lees – Manchester.
  • Alternative journeys available on service 350 and 84

Operator changes

• 108 - Timperley - Brooklands - Northern Moor – Manchester
  • Alternative journeys available on services 41 and 101/103
• X58 - Flixton – Davyhulme – Lostock – Manchester
  • Alternative journeys available on service 256
• X84 - Carrcote – Uppermill – Lees – Manchester.
• 6 - Rochdale - Kirkholt circular
  • Service will be operated by Go North West instead of First (evening journeys run by Rosso are unchanged)
• 11A - Altrincham - Gatley - Cheadle - Cheadle Heath – Stockport
  • Most journeys will be operated by Diamond and will be renumbered 370 and 371 (with journeys numbered 371 running via Edgeley to replace 323). Evening and Sunday journeys run by Stagecoach are also renumbered 370 (but times unchanged)
• 81 - Oldham - Werneth - White Gate - Moston - Piccadilly Gardens
  • All journeys will be operated by First.
• 150 - Gorton - Stretford - Trafford Park - The Trafford Centre
  • Most journeys will be operated by Diamond (evening and Sunday journeys run by Stagecoach are unchanged).
• 183 - Limeside - Coppice - Oldham - Royal Oldham Hospital
  • Service will be operated by Stotts instead of Stagecoach and times are revised.
• 345 - Ashton-under-Lyne - Denton - Dukinfield circular
  • Daytime journeys will be operated by Stotts. Evening and Sunday journeys will continue to be operated by Stagecoach.
• 374 - Stockport - Adswood - Davenport - Hazel Grove circular
  • Daytime journeys will be operated by Nexus. Evening and Sunday journeys will continue to be operated by Stagecoach.
• 583 - Leigh - Abbey Lane - Atherton - Hag Fold - Tyldesley           
  • Sunday journeys will be operated by Vision. There will be an improved span of operation and the Sunday route is now the same as Monday-Saturday to replace Sunday 595.
• 590 - Leigh - Lowton Common - Lowton - Pennington circular
  • Service will be operated by Hattons.
• 594 - Leigh - Blackmoor - Astley - Tyldesley - Bedford circular
  • Service will be operated by Warrington's Own Buses with a new Sunday service operated by Vision.
• 630 - Wigan - Scholes - Ince - Spring View - Platt Bridge – Abram
  • Service will be operated by Diamond.
• 635 - Wigan - Dangerous Corner - Appley Bridge - Gidlow circular
  • All services will be operated by Diamond.
• X50 - Manchester – Trafford Park – The Trafford Centre
  • Service will be operated by Diamond.

Services with reduced frequency and/or route changes

• 3/4 - Wigan - Kitt Green circular
  • Saturday services will operate every 15 minutes.
• 10 - Manchester - Eccles - Brookhouse Estate
  • Sunday services will operate every 20 minutes.
• 23 - Stockport - Stretford - Urmston - The Trafford Centre
  • There will be a reduction in the number of journeys before 9am between Monday and Saturday.
• 59 - Oldham - Middleton – Manchester
  • Monday to Friday daytime frequency will reduce to every 12 minutes.
• 191 - Hazel Grove - Stockport - Levenshulme - Longsight – Manchester
  • There will be a revision of the Monday to Friday peak hour timetable.
• 197 - Stockport - Heaton Mersey - Heaton Moor – Manchester
  • There will be a reduction in the number of journeys before 7am between Monday and Friday.
• 250 - The Trafford Centre - Trafford Park – Manchester
  • Monday to Friday daytime frequency will reduce to every 12 minutes.
• 253/255 - Partington - Carrington - Stretford – Manchester
  • One peak time Monday to Friday 253 service will be withdrawn.
• 256 - Flixton - Lostock - Stretford - Hulme – Manchester
  • Monday to Saturday daytime frequency will reduce to every 15 minutes.
• 323 - Stockport - Edgeley - Heaton Mersey circular
  • The 323 will only run on Saturday, replaced to Heaton Mersey Monday to Friday by an extended 375. Monday-Saturday, the section of route through Edgeley is replaced by Diamond 371.
• 324 - Stockport - Denton - Haughton Green - Brinnington circular
  • The evening and Sunday 324 services is replaced by journeys on the 327 with these being operated by Nexus instead of Stagecoach.
• 375 - Mellor - Marple - Hazel Grove - Offerton – Stockport
  • Monday to Friday services will be extended to Heaton Mersey to replace the 323.
• 464(b) - Accrington - Haslingden - Bacup - Whitworth – Rochdale
  • 5.13am arrival in Rochdale (Mon-Sat) and 6.13am and 7.13am on Saturday services will be reinstated.
• 467(b)/468(b) - Bury - Jericho - Bamford - Caldershaw - Spotland – Rochdale
  • Daytime frequency to increase to every 30 minutes, and to add 5.11am arrival in Rochdale (Mon-Sat) and 6.11am on Saturday.