Bee Network fleet set for 2025 expansion with new buses

The publicly-controlled Bee Network is set to incorporate approximately 140 new buses. This expansion precedes the network’s full assumption of all services throughout Greater Manchester in the upcoming year. This addition complements the acquisition of 72 Stagecoach buses, all under a year old, and 94 electric buses. These purchases follow the regional authority’s recent endorsement of a £71 million investment strategy aimed at enlarging the fleet. The phased implementation of public control over the region’s bus services has been ongoing since the Bee Network’s inception in September 2023. The final 50% of services, encompassing areas such as Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and portions of Manchester and Salford, are scheduled to integrate into the network on 5 January. Temporarily, the newly acquired buses will be housed at six Ministry of Defence locations. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham commented on the preparations, stating: “We’re pulling out all the stops to ensure we hit the ground running on 5 January.” He characterized the initiative as a “complex and major undertaking,” further remarking: “There’ll no doubt be some bumps along the road, but it’s essential we ready our fleet of modern yellow buses to hit the streets.” The network encountered initial difficulties upon its launch in 2023 and again when services commenced in the region’s northern areas in March. Mr. Burnham recently affirmed that single fares within the region would maintain their £2 cap in 2025, notwithstanding fare increases observed elsewhere in the UK. He had previously indicated that Bee Network fares could only be sustained at a low level “if more people use it.” Buses were brought back under local control in 2023, a move aimed at enhancing services and reducing fares, following the deregulation and privatization of bus companies in 1985. Responding to public demand, the network recently reinstated a service: the hourly 615 route connecting Wigan and Middlebrook retail park was restored last weekend, four years after its discontinuation. Additionally, an increased number of night buses have been running in certain parts of the region since September, as part of a trial initiative designed to bolster workers’ safety and stimulate the local economy. From March, passengers will also gain the ability to use cards and smart devices for tap-in and tap-out functionality on both buses and trams, with a daily fare cap of £9.50. Close to 200 apprentices have also been employed within the region by bus operators and construction firms. Vernon Everitt, Greater Manchester’s transport commissioner, stated: “The third and final stage of bus franchising in January marks a huge milestone in the delivery of the Bee Network.” He further noted that eight commuter rail lines are slated to integrate into the Bee Network by 2028.