Plans for a 24/7 ‘night bus’ trial to start on some popular services in Greater Manchester have now been revealed.
Details of the long-awaited pilot have been revealed alongside the launch of ‘phase two’ of Bee Network public transport franchising in across the region this week – but, at this moment in time, the trial is still subject to “ongoing engagement, funding, and approval”, according to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
TfGM says the so-called ‘night bus’ pilot is set to launch in phase one bus areas, and is anticipated to include the V1 and 36 services.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, and transport bosses at TfGM are keen to introduce 24/7 services to “supporting people working in the night time economy”, as this means customers will never miss the last bus home, whatever time of the day.
Daytime fares and tickets would apply on night services, TfGM has confirmed, so a single trip would be capped at the standard £2 fare.
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"People here will have better, more frequent bus services…"
Hear from @MayorofGM, Andy Burnham who today visited Bury Interchange to mark almost one month to go until the launch of the second phase of the #BeeNetwork in Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and parts of Salford.
Services could also run hourly to “fill the gap in current provision” – which is thought to be between around 1am and 5am – seven days a week, and TfGM says it is currently in the process of working with partners to look at “the right level” of ‘TravelSafe’ support to make sure people feel as comfortable as possible on these services when it comes to their personal safety.
Andy Burnham has confirmed the trial will start “later this year”.
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He added that the aim of the pilot is 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”.
“The details are currently being developed, and are subject to further engagement,” Mr Burnham continued, “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.”
Plans for 24/7 ‘night bus’ trial on some services in Greater Manchester have been revealed / Credit: TfGM
As mentioned, details of the proposed 24/7 ‘night bus’ pilot have been revealed alongside the unveiling of what ‘phase two’ of the Bee Network means for Greater Manchester.
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In case you’re unfamiliar, the Bee Network launched back in September of last year, and is our region’s “vision” for an integrated ‘London-style’ public transport system that “changes the way people travel” across all 10 boroughs – with the ‘phase one’ rollout bringing bright yellow buses to Bolton, Wigan, and parts of Bury and Salford.
‘Phase one’ consists of 188 bus routes, but ‘phase two’ is set to, quite literally, cover new ground.
When we launch the 2nd stage of the @BeeNetwork on 24/3, we will make improvements to your timetable.
This will include more frequent services and/or earlier and later running on the following routes: 17, 18, 52, 59, 67, 67a, 83, 97, 98, 100, 135, 350, 409, 423, 467, 468.
That’s because, on Sunday 24 March, buses in Oldham, Rochdale, and further parts of Bury, Salford, and north Manchester will come back under public control for the first time in almost 40 years.
The change will mean a total of 324 bus routes – 188 routes in ‘phase one’, and 136 routes in ‘phase two’ – totalling 50% of the bus network in Greater Manchester, will be managed TfGM as part of the Bee Network.
Services in ‘phase two’ will be operated by Stagecoach, First Group and Diamond under a franchising arrangement.
Find out more about the Bee Network on the TfGM website here.
Featured Image – TfGM
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Olivia Dean at Albert Hall – star stuns in every way in Manchester
Abbie Bartlett
24-year-old neo soul singer Olivia Dean was in Manchester last night performing her Mercury prize-nominated album effortlessly with a voice and style made for the stage.
Fans of the star have watched her go from strength to strength over the past year, from being nominated for three Brits, performing at Coachella and now preparing for this year’s Glastonbury festival.
As someone who frequents gigs like they’re going out of fashion, it’s a bold statement but I think this may be one of the best I’ve ever experienced, and Olivia Dean can only be described being a star.
Before we dive into the performance, it’s only fair to take a minute to shoutout what an incredible venue for music the Albert Hall is. The former Methodist hall projects and echos acoustics perfectly and the raised stage and balcony area mean everyone in the building has a good view.
It’s no surprise that given her recent success the show at the Albert Hall was a complete sell-out, appearing on stage in a stunning floor-length silk dress the sea of fans filled the venue with admiring applause.
Olivia looked stunning in a floor length dress.The crowd was mesmorised.
With a seven-piece band behind her, the star jumped straight into an atmospheric UFO before a cheery ‘How are we Manchester?’ and raising a can of Red Stripe. She quickly follows with Ok Love You Bye – a track that gets the whole crowd singing along and contemplating their past love decisions (maybe that last bit was just me).
The singer seamlessly glided through her set with ease, tambourine in hand, wowing fans with gorgeous melodies and relatable lyrics.
Gracefully sitting at the piano the room fell to silence as we heard Everybody’s Crazy and ICould Be a Florist, I’d predict I wasn’t the only person crying at this point.
As the evening rolled on and the songs kept coming the genuine talent Olivia has, not just as a singer but as a lyricist, had the crowd hooked on her every word. Of course she ends with Dive, the standout track from the album that perfectly depicts how it feels to fall in love.
Olivia Dean 2024 setlist
UFO
Ok Love You Bye
Echo
Danger
Cross My Mind
Be My Own Boyfriend
What Am I Gonna Do on Sundays?
No Man
Messy
Touching Toes
Everybody’s Crazy
I Could Be a Florist
Ladies Room
Reason to Stay
The Hardest Part
Carmen
Saying her goodbyes with a ‘I’ve had such a lovely evening’ and telling the crowd how happy she is to be back home in the UK after recent shows in America.
Experiencing Olivia Dean at Albert Hall felt genuinely special, the star is destined for a life time of deserved fame but her voice was made to be experiences in an intimate venue. The opportunity to enjoy her talent in such a perfect venue was nothing short of a divine evening.
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2024 Manchester Marathon raises £29 million for local economy and over £3.7m for charity
Danny Jones
Just under a fortnight on from the 2024 Manchester Marathon and the numbers are finally, with the annual race generating nearly £30 million for the local economy and raising over £3.7m for charity.
This year’s Adidas Manchester Marathon saw record numbers of runners and spectators as over 30,000 took part in the popular race, up by roughly 6,000 from 2023, and more than 125k turned up to line the streets of Greater Manchester.
As a result, these huge crowds spent upwards of £29.2 million at business around the city centre and around the 10 boroughs last weekend, serving as one of the most significant contributions to the local economy on the annual calendar.
Not only was this an approximately £8m increase on last year’s tally but, most importantly, a sizeable chunk of that went straight into both regional and national charities.
The 2024 adidas Manchester Marathon was a spectacular day for the city and its economy.
Beyond the boost to local vendors, the hospitality sector and retail businesses, over £3.7 million were allocated to charities such as Alzheimer’s Charity, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie.
Over £32,000 was also raised for the Trafford Active Fund, with £1 from every paid entry to the Adidas Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half donated directly to the initiative that benefits local sports clubs and organisations through Trafford Council.
Better still, with City of Trees selected as the chosen ‘Green Runner’ charity, the eco-friendly drive saw roughly 7% of participants opt out of receiving either a finisher t-shirt, medal or both.
The money saved in production goes towards maintaining woodlands and wildlife across Greater Manchester.
Together you have raised over £3.7 million for charitable causes, adding even more meaning to those 26.2 miles 💕 Well done and thank you to all those who fundraised and donated! 🌟Tag us in those charity top pictures from last weekend 😍😍#ManchesterMarathonpic.twitter.com/5gsi6NtFzB
This year’s Manchester Marathon also helped produce some of the highest number of passengers on public transport in the city’s history, with a over 175,000 journeys made on Metrolink alone – the highest number of journeys ever recorded on a single day.
This was a 20% increaseon 2023’s race day (145k), spotlighting how the event continues to be more environmentally conscious as years go by.
With the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon confirmed to be taking place on Sunday, 27 April next year – and over 12,000 places already sold – the city can already look forward to reaping the economic and social benefits of hosting one of Europe’s largest, flattest, friendliest and most-loved marathons.
Emily Sergeant -
20th February 2024 
