Manchester

Basic information

Name of the public transport authority: Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)

Other public transport trademarks: Bee Network

Geographical area: PTA covers Greater Manchester – the municipal areas of Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan.

Inhabitants in the PTA area: 2.9 million

Responsibilities

Ticketing:

TfGM is responsible for the setting of the ticketing structure, prices and ticket inspection.

Procurement:

TfGM is responsible for the procurement of light rail services (Metrolink) and bus services.

Rolling stock and depot ownership:

TfGM is the owner of Metrolink rolling stock and depots, and also of some major bus depots and some buses.

Public transport planning:

TfGM is responsible for the planning of Metrolink and bus services in Greater Manchester, including routes and timings.

Development of mobility policy / Transport system planning:

TfGM is responsible for the planning of the active travel network, in partnership with local authorities. TfGM has a role in managing the key route network, all other roads (expect the strategic network) are the responsibility of local authorities. TfGM is responsible for the creation of the Local Transport Plan for the city region (UK equivalent of SUMP), but the plan is owned by the GMCA (Greater Manchester Combined Authority) and local authorities.

Marketing of public transport:

TfGM is responsible for the marketing of public transport and active travel through the Bee Network brand.

Passenger information:

TfGM provides passenger information through the Bee Network app and website, paper timetables at interchanges and bus stations, travel information at bus stops and Metrolink stations, and data feeds for third-party applications.

Organisational model

Metropolitan/regional department

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is the public body responsible for coordinating transport services throughout Greater Manchester. It is accountable to the Mayor of Greater Manchester and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, along with the Bee Network Committee which is made up of politicians from the ten districts.

Transport for Greater Manchester is the owner of the Bee Network. This is the name of Greater Manchester’s integrated transport network and includes local bus services, Metrolink, Starling Bank Bikes and by 2030 will include local rail services.

Transport service contracting

Procured by the PTA: urban buses, regional buses within the PTA, light rail

Not procured by the PTA, but most/all services accept PTA tickets: regional buses stretching outside of the PTA, commuter trains

Other modes of public transport: Starling Bank Bikes is a cycle hire scheme that operates in Manchester, Salford and Trafford. It is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated by a procured supplier. Transport for Greater Manchester runs two on-demand bus services, these are Local Link and Ring and Ride. Local Link is offered by TfGM as a flexible transport solution for local journeys in areas with limited public transport services. Ring and Ride is offered by TfGM to provide accessible, low-cost transport to disabled and older people who have challenges with mobility.

Current developments

As of 2024:

Our vision is for Greater Manchester to have ‘World-class connections that support long-term sustainable economic growth and access to opportunity for all”, aligned with our Right Mix ambition for 50% of all journeys in Greater Manchester to be made by walking, cycling and public transport by 2040.

Our Places for Everyone plan for new homes, jobs and sustainable growth across Greater Manchester has now come into effect and will be used as a blueprint for development across nine boroughs up until 2039, including 175,000 new homes.

As part of delivering this vision, Greater Manchester is building the Bee Network. An accessible, affordable and easy to use integrated transport system, it will transform how people travel here.

An integrated transport network will mean that all modes of travel are coordinated well through consistent branding, ticketing and coordination of routes across multiple modes. A daily fare cap and multi-modal ticketing will facilitate seamless end-to-end journeys within the city region. The Bee Network will join together:

• Active Travel – Ensuring that 95% of Greater Manchester residents live within 400m of a high-quality active travel route
• Bus – Bringing our network under local control through bus franchising and delivering on-street bus improvements across 70km of routes, decarbonising our fleet and continuing our programme to develop new interchange facilities.
• Metrolink – Renewing Greater Manchester’s light rail network and exploring opportunities for new extensions and tram-train connectivity over the next 10 years.
• Rail by 2030 – Integrating heavy rail services within the Bee Network, including through ticketing and branding, and exploring opportunities to increase local control over services.