Bee Network night buses expand to Stockport

Bee Network night buses are now serving Stockport residents both working in and enjoying Greater Manchester’s night time economy.

24-hour running of the 192 service between Stockport and Manchester city centre began on Thursday 3rd September, and will operate Thursday to Sunday. Along with new night buses in Tameside, Trafford, Oldham and Salford, round-the-clock services are now available in all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.

Growing the night bus network will provide the 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester – and the many more enjoying all its nightlife has to offer – a safe, more reliable and affordable way to travel late at night. It will also benefit those working in other 24-hour industries such as healthcare.

More than 209,000 journeys have already been made on Bee Network night buses, with the V1 in Wigan and 36 in Bolton launching in September 2024, followed by the 17 in Rochdale and 135 in Bury in September 2025, alongside night bus services that operated prior to Greater Manchester bringing its bus network back under public control.

Transport for Greater Manchester estimates that the new routes will cover an additional 1,630 timetabled kilometres per week, building on the 2,596 extra kilometres a week already delivered by existing night buses.

They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year, including new bus routes and more frequent services across Greater Manchester. The new night buses and other service improvements support the Greater Manchester Strategy’s aim for 90% of residents to live within a five-minute walk of frequent bus or tram services by 2030.

Hospitality businesses and organsiations representing the night time economy in Greater Manchester have welcomed new night buses.

Dom X from Loft Social in Stockport town centre, said:

“A 24-hour weekend night bus service will be a real boost for the night-time economy. Safe, reliable and affordable transport means our guests can enjoy their night without worrying about how they’ll get home, while giving our staff a dependable option after late shifts.

“Better late-night connections make our town centre more accessible, safer and more attractive for everyone”

Hannah Geary, Chair of the Oldham Evening and Night Time Economy group, commented:

“Working within the hospitality sector means late night Ubers which eat up the last few hours’ worth of wages you earned and waiting on the street not knowing if anyone will even pick up your trip. It happens more than you’d think.

“With a late-night bus service coming back to Oldham it means safter, more reliable, cheaper travel for our late-night hospitality heroes.”