Following a judicial review brought by bus operators Stagecoach and and Rotala, a judge has ruled in favour of Manchester’s buses being brought back under public control.
The plan, first put forward by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham last year, was briefly thrown into jeopardy after operators tried to stop it – but now it’s been successfully defended, meaning that cheaper buses are likely coming to the city in the near future.
Today, the courts found that the decision to implement a bus franchising scheme across Greater Manchester to bring buses back under public control was lawfully carried out, which means the plans can now move forward.
Sharing his joy at the decision, Andy Burnham tweeted that he was ‘pleased to say we have successfully defended the decision I took to put GM buses under public control’ and that he had won on ‘all points’ – adding “we can finally put people before profits after 36 years of the opposite”.
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Joining in his enthusiasm, Manchester night tsar Sacha Lord added that the deicision was ‘huge news’ not just for Greater Manchester but for the rest of the UK, too.
Pleased to say we have successfully defended the decision I took to put GM buses under public control.
We won on ALL points.
The way is now clear for the North to retake control of its public transport.
We can finally put people before profits after 36 years of the opposite.👇🏻 https://t.co/hmmfTz9TLO
In an official statement released following the court judgement, Andy Burnahm said: “Following the strong mandate from the Greater Manchester public, who wanted buses bringing back under public control, it is frustrating that the two companies concerned pursued this action and I am pleased that the court has dismissed all of their arguments.
“I now ask them to accept the clear ruling and allow us to crack on and give the people of Greater Manchester what they want – an integrated, accessible and affordable ‘London-style’ transport system joining together buses, trams, cycling and walking; the Bee Network.
“I want to work with the operators and the government to create the bus network that GM needs over the next few years and I will give a more detailed update on how and when we will implement franchising on Monday.
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“However, in order to deliver a London-style transport system, we need the right funding to do so for our buses and for our Metrolink system so that people have access to the kind of reliable, affordable services that makes public transport an attractive alternative to the car.
“Access to reliable affordable public transport is central to the government’s commitment to levelling up and to our net zero ambitions. We want Government to join us in a partnership that uses Greater Manchester as a pilot to allow it to become the first London-style public transport system outside of London, as the Government promised in its Levelling Up White Paper, providing a package of both post-Covid and longer-term funding.
“We know that this result is important not just for Greater Manchester, but for other city-regions too; such as Liverpool City Region and South Yorkshire who have both announced that they are taking steps to introduce a franchised bus network. We hope that this judgement today will pave the way for them to progress with their ambitions to bring buses under public control. This ruling is a green light for the North to retake control of its bus and public transport system.”
Feature image – Commons Wikimedia
Boroughs
Serial robber jailed after targeting and assaulting lone women across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A man has been handed time behind bars after targeting lone women in a series of violent robberies across Greater Manchester.
Jason Cunliffe, from the Crumpsall area of Manchester, appeared at Manchester Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 5 February 2026) where he was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of robbery, two counts of fraud, and one count each of attempted robbery, burglary, and theft.
The incidents Cunliffe pleaded guilty to were said to have taken place between 17 August and 3 September 2025.
10 incidents were reported to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in which a man approached women in public spaces and forcibly stole their handbags and other belongings, and in several cases, victims were dragged to the ground and wrestled before the man – later identified as Cunliffe – fled on foot.
All incidents occurred in public areas of Greater Manchester, and police say Cunliffe ‘deliberately targeted’ women who were alone or in a pair.
On 4 September last year, police on proactive patrols in known hotspot areas spotted a man, confirmed to be Cunliffe, acting ‘suspiciously’ in Crumpsall.
Upon seeing the police vehicle, Cunliffe attempted to hide by ducking down next to a car, but officers saw this and subsequently approached, before he then fled prompting a foot chase which eventually ended in him being caught and arrested on the spot.
After a house search, officers found 12 handbags and other items including an iPad, iPhone, Hugo Boss jumper and Samsung tablet that Cunliffe had stolen – all of which were able to be returned to the victims.
Speaking following Cunliffe’s sentencing this week, Detective Inspector Natasha Feerick, of GMP’s City of Manchester Neighbourhood Crime Team, commented: “I would like to thank the victims for reporting these incidents to us and allowing us to fully investigate, as thanks to these reports, neighbourhood officers were able to quickly identify and arrest Cunliffe.
“His offending will have a lasting effect on victims and I hope this result will bring some reassurance to them going forward.
“Cunliffe preyed upon women and on many occasions physically assaulted them to take items from them. He stole handbags and other items totalling thousands of pounds.”
Featured Image – GMP
Boroughs
Passengers urged to ‘plan ahead’ as Manchester Piccadilly prepares to close for nine days next week
Emily Sergeant
Passengers are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as Manchester Piccadilly prepares to close for nine full days from next weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, it was announced last November that Manchester Piccadilly train was going to have to shut in February 2026 for what is described as being a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’… and now, we are less than two weeks away before that officially becomes a reality and very few train services run in or out of the station.
Network Rail is investing £7.9m into the major upgrade at Manchester Piccadilly station – with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.
Teams are due to replace 11 sets of points, renew timber sleepers with modern, concrete equivalents, and alsobring lineside equipment ‘bang up to date’ across six lines to improve future journeys for passengers and freight.
Investment in this apparent ‘critical stretch’ of track has been long awaited, as any issues with the ageing infrastructure can disrupt all trains running in and out of Manchester.
Passengers are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as Manchester Piccadilly prepares to close for nine days next week / Credit: Network Rail
The nine-day closure, although expected to cause commuting chaos, is tipped to ultimately deliver ‘better and more reliable journeys’ for passengers in the long run.
The main work takes place over nine days during February half term, from Saturday 14 through to Sunday 22 February 2026.
And what does this mean for anyone travelling exactly? Well, the scale of the work spanning all main lines means no trains from the south and east of the city will run into Manchester Piccadilly for the full nine days, while trains from the north will also be heavily impacted, as will direct connections to Manchester Airport station.
There will be a limited service westbound from Platforms 13 and 14.
⚠️ Major changes to services this February half term ⚠️
🛠️ We're upgrading the Piccadilly corridor.
📆 From 14-22 February there will be no trains from platforms 1-12. A limited service will terminate at platforms 13&14.
The train shed (Platforms 1-12) will also close for the full nine days, but Manchester Piccadilly station’s concourse will remain open to the public.
“During this time, we are advising passengers to travel light, allow extra time for their journey, and be prepared to queue, as stations and rail replacement services are expected to be very busy,” National Rail said in its statement issued ahead of the closure next week.
“We have worked with train operators, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Manchester City Council to develop an alternative travel plan during the closure, to keep passengers moving smoothly to their destination.”
You can plan your journey on the Northern Rail website here.
Georgina Pellant -
9th March 2022 
