Buses Trains & Metrolink in Manchester | April 2023

Buses, trains and Metrolink trams filmed in Manchester city centre in April 2023. The filming starts at Victoria Station with a selection of trains, trams and buses before moving over to The Printworks and Shudehill Interchange. This was an area not covered in a video filmed at the end of March. Moving on locations include Piccadilly Gardens and progress finally towards Oxford Road Railway Station.
There is plenty of activity to be seen from the main bus operators Stagecoach, Diamond North West, Go Ahead North West, First and Arriva. No yellow buses were seen for the Greater Manchester Bee Network under plans to reform the Transport for Greater Manchester network by City Mayor Andy Burnham. The plan is for a London style integrated transport system for Greater Manchester.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester said discussions were on-going with government as part of a further deal on devolution, more powers transferred from Whitehall to regions, about integrating overland train services with bus, trams and bikes.
It would create a “tap in tap out” system for any of the 2.5 million people in the Greater Manchester region using public transport.
Mr Burnham made the remarks at a press conference where he announced the contracts had been signed with the two firms who won the tender to run the buses in Wigan, Bolton, and parts of Bury and Salford, called the “Bee Network” in the region.
The mayor has pushed through a franchising model for bus services in the region, after what he called a “36-year fight” to bring them back under public control following deregulation under the Thatcher government in the 1980s.