‘Tap in, tap out’ train travel is set to be trialled at several stations in Greater Manchester next year as part of a new pilot scheme.
It means thousands more passengers will benefit from “simpler and more flexible” travel.
Under the new pilot schemes announced by Rail Minister Huw Merriman today (1 February), 90 railway stations across the West Midlands, and on selected routes in Greater Manchester, are set to be fitted with cutting-edge technology that allows passengers to simply ‘tap-in and tap-out’ of their local train network.
Essentially meaning there’ll be no need to plan ahead or search for the right train ticket, the Governmentclaims passengers can rest assured knowing they’ll pay “the best fare” for their journey.
The pilot schemes are said to be part of the Government’s plans to “reform the railways”, while also delivering on ‘Trailblazer’ devolution deals that are aimed at giving local leaders and authorities a “bigger say” in how their rail network is run.
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We’re making rail journeys in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester simpler and more flexible, with contactless train travel due to be launched at over 90 new stations next year.
Trials will also apparently “pave the way” for the future rollout of similar technology to more stations across the North and Midlands.
This is funded, in part, by £100 million that’s been reallocated from the now-defunct HS2.
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Greater Manchester’s pilot scheme is planned to include 17 stations on the Glossop to Manchester Piccadilly, and Stalybridge to Manchester Victoria lines, and will use contactless bank cards and devices to run.
The Department for Transport (DfT) say’s our region’s scheme will support the wider ambition to deliver full multi-modal fares and ticketing integration across bus, Metrolink, rail and cycle hire as part of the Bee Network by 2030.
‘Tap in, tap out’ train travel is to be trialled in Greater Manchester next year / Credit: gov.uk
“We want to encourage more people back onto our trains, with tap-in technology meaning using our stations couldn’t be easier,” Rail Minister Huw Merriman said as the pilot schemes were announced this morning.
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“Our railways have a long history, but projects like these, which are part of the Government’s wider plans for reform, will ensure they have a bright future too.”
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham added: “We are transforming how people travel in Greater Manchester, with the aim for people to pay for journeys easily and seamlessly across buses, trams, trains, and cycle hire.
“We look forward to progressing with these new contactless rail pilots and working together to develop a more meaningful and accountable partnership that allows us to integrate local rail services across the city-region into the Bee Network.”
With plans already underway expand pay-as-you-go train travel in the South East later this year too, the pilot stations confirmed today will see the total number of ‘tap in, tap out’ stations in England increase to around 500 in 2025.
Featured Image – Rail Delivery Group (via iStock)
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Get Baked owner offers lifeline to hospitality staff after sudden closure of Almost Famous
Danny Jones
The owner of viral sweet treat brand, Get Baked, has given a potential lifeline to local hospitality staff in Manchester following the sudden news of Almost Famous’ nationwide closure.
Confirmation that the Northern foodie favourites and dirty burger pioneers would be shutting down all of their sites across the country hit the likes of Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool like a freight train on a truly sad Monday mourning.
Although countless customers expressed their condolences online and bid farewell to the more than decade-old institution, the question of what is/will happen to their numerous staff was quickly put to the forefront.
With Almost Famous employees informing The Manc that they had been given no notice of the immediate closure and some still being owed wages, many have sadly found themselves in a crisis. Step up, Leeds-born baker and businessman, Rich Myers.
Yes, Yorkshire’s very own ‘Mr Sprinkles’ – who is slowly building a small but solid and superbly sweet dessert empire in the North – dropped a comment underneath our announcement post and kindly slid into our DMs to help get the word to those who need it most.
With Get Baked’s first-ever Manchester store set to open this year, Myers and his team are on the lookout for staff to make sure it hits the ground running.
That being said, upon learning of AF’s gutting closure, Myers messaged: “Hi everyone. We are opening a new site in NQ on February 28th, and want to do what we can to help any ex-AF staff get into new employment.
Although Get Baked is now planning to move to a different location in Manchester city centre, the opening date is still edging ever closer and we literally cannot wait.
The brand’s original home in Headingley has become internet-famous for its viral take on the legendary ‘Matilda cake’.
It’s unclear as to whether Get Baked have vacancies beyond Manchester but it’s still well worth expressing your interest if you don’t mind a job switch that revolves around sweet instead of savoury.
As for those who have unfortunately been let go by the long-standing burger joint, we sincerely hope that as many of them are snapped up by other local hospitality businesses as possible – and fast.
Almost Famous has been hit with a fair amount of criticism following the mass shutdown; reflecting on this and a raft of recent closures, one person wrote: “I feel sorry for the hospitality industry as a whole and Manchester. But not for AF if they treat their staff with such contempt!
A former employee added: “As a staff member who hasn’t received any direct communication from the business about the immediate redundancy of my contract and no payment of owed wages – the ‘top priority’ comment doesn’t exactly ring true.”
Featured Images — Get Baked (via Instagram)/The Manc Group
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Beloved Deansgate bar shares CCTV footage of customers stealing their… cushions?
Danny Jones
Beloved Manchester gin venue Atlas Bar has shared CCTV footage of two customers caught red-handed stealing their cushions this past weekend.
Firstly, don’t do that and secondly, what a random thing to steal.
Atlas on the corner of Deansgate has been an institution of the local hospitality scene for nearly three years, opening back in 1996 as one of the go-to pre-drinks destinations for those heading to the Hacienda.
Taken over and turned into the gin bar that’s popular day and night as we know it today back in 2012, it remains one of Manchester’s longest-standing independent boozers, so we were gutted and more than a bit puzzled to see them sharing images of patrons stealing property from their premises.
Sharing an understandably frustrated post, the bar wrote: “These two women decided that they needed to borrow (or maybe steal) two of our cushions last night [Sunday].
“We would be grateful if they brought them back soon! Hospitality is hard enough, without people taking what isn’t theirs to take! We would hate to have to involve the police.”
Now, we’re not going to play dumb and pretend people don’t nick the odd coaster or maybe even a pint pot from time to time – many of you reading might even be guilty of this minor sin (don’t worry, this isn’t an official investigation) – but we don’t think we’ve anyone try to sneak out with fabrics.
Petty theft it may be but it’s still theft nonetheless.
One commenter wrote: “Life is hard for hospitality at the moment and if they can afford to go out and drink they can afford to buy their own cushions”; another asked: “Are they expensive? – not the point I know but wondered why they would steal them.”
A third simply added, “What are people like? Fancy stealing a bloody cushion.”
As rightly pointed out by followers, there is plenty of stuff going against the food and drink sector as it is at the moment, so completely avoidable inconveniences like this are just as thoughtless as they are daft.
Atlas has been serving the local community for nearly thirty years, so we think it’s safe to say don’t deserve this kind of treatment, no matter how small it may seem to some.
Luckily for the mystery women pictured in the screengrab, the owners appear willing to welcome the pillow pillagers back to return the cushion without taking any further action and just be done with the whole thing.
Emily Sergeant -
1st February 2024 
