Orbital routes take shape while First cuts frequencies (UPDATED)

GMITA's Bus Network and GMPTE Services committee had their first meeting since August yesterday and as usual, details of a number of forthcoming bus service changes came to light.

Intriguingly, Part B of the meeting discussed the introduction of orbital bus routes, something that was part of the failed TIF bid earlier this year. While no details of what was discussed have been published, here' what we do know:

• Rochdale and Oldham will get an improved link to North Manchester General Hospital thanks to new First Manchester service 56, running from Rochdale to NMGH via Milnrow, Shaw and Oldham every 30 minutes.
• Service 58 (Rochdale - Oldham - Middleton) is extended from Middleton to Bury via Heywood.
• Stockport will get a direct bus link with Sale thanks to the re-routing of services 370 and 371. From Baguley these services will now run via Brooklands and Sale Moor to Sale. This means poorer connections to Timperley and Altrincham.

Both these changes take place from 26th October.

Elsewhere, First is cutting frequencies. Services 98 (Manchester - Bury) and 123/124 (Manchester - Langley) both go from every 10 minutes to every 15. Additionally, the 123/124 is rerouted between Collyhurst and Manchester to run via Queens Road and Cheetham Hill in order to serve Manchester Fort Shopping Centre. While improving links to Manchester Fort, this means a longer route for those traveling to and from Langley. Service 32 (Wigan - Manchester) is being cut to hourly during off-peak periods with a number of peak-period journeys also axed.

The one service First is boosting is the 17 - that wouldn't be anything to do with JPT's recently introduced competitive journeys, would it?

Among Arriva's changes, the 245 (Flixton - Altrincham) is extended to Manchester Airport via Hale and is renumbered 18A.

In the run up to Christmas, Stagecoach Manchester is improving service 250 (Manchester - Trafford Centre) with extra journeys and introducing an additional limited stop X50 service for shoppers wanting a quick link to and from the retail complex. No word on a timetable for this other than it's daily. Look out for all these changes beginning on the 25th and 26th of September.

There' a whole lot more to pick over in the the Committee notes, and on GMPTE's Service Changes page. We just want to know what other orbital services we're likely to see!

[Image credit: Gene Hunt on Flickr]

UPDATE: Thanks to the commenters and emailers who have pointed out that its only the 370 being rerouted to Sale, not the 371. Also, Stagecoach's timetable for the new X50 is on their website here (PDF link).

Comments

[JimmyMac]

Just a quick point: only the 370 will go to Sale, the 371 remains on its original route. Personally, I wish it were the other way round as the 370 is currently the quick route between Didsbury and Altrincham.

With the cuts in frequency on the 98, will it remain an "at least every 10 minutes" Overground route? The 519 has only been every 12 mins as of last month - or is the Overground concept on the way out?

[Shaun]

They'll probably keep it as an Overground route. Similar thing has been happened in West Yorkshire over the months where services have been cut to 12, 15 or 20 minutes, while the 327 in Huddersfield is still advertised as Overground despite running every 30 minutes for a few years now.

I imagine the 56 will probably be an extension of the 58 from Middleton to North Manchester General Hospital, which if that is the case, it could be a rival route to JPT's 156 route from Langley to Manchester via Middleton and North Manchester General Hospital. JPT's fans on Facebook have also pointed out that the 58 extension to Bury has also come after some people suggested a quicker route from Middleton to Bury.

123/124 re-routing to serve Manchester Fort isn't a bad idea. It re-instates the link from Middleton lost when the 59 was re-routed and covers Queens Road, which was lost when the 53 was re-routed. Conviently, that has come after somebody on JPT's Facebook page suggested a service from Harpurhey to Manchester that doesn't run all the way down Rochdale Road.

X50 is a good route. Am surprised no Manchester operator has come up with an Manchester-Trafford Centre express service before. Only ones were Burnley & Pendle when the X43 was extended to Trafford Centre and First West Yorkshire's brief M60 service. The timetable is up on the Stagecoach website. Starts at 6.53am from Manchester (7.53am Saturdays, 9.53am Sundays) and runs every 30 minutes until 5.53pm Sundays, 8.53pm Saturdays and 9.53pm weekdays. From Trafford Centre, it starts at 9.15am (10.45am Sundays) and runs every 30 minutes until 6.40pm Sundays, 9.40pm Saturdays and 10.40pm weekdays. Journey time (providing there's no traffic problems) is 25 minutes.

Another interesting change is Rossendale extending the 273 to Todmorden, replacing the 49. Should be a good scenic route. There's not many routes (589 is one) that starts in one county/area, run through another county and finish in a 3rd county/area. (Greater Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire).

X50 timetable: http://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables/ServiceX5025Oct2009.pdf

[Simon, riverside]

Rochdale - Oldham - Middleton then onto Bury via heywood. What idiot thought of that one? Surely if they want to link bury then it would have been better doing it the other side after its been to rochdale. I give it 6 months. Cant believe it took so long to get a trafford centre express. They do say it takes 25 minutes. Traffic depending. WOuld like to see that on match days at old trafford.

[D9000]

Stagecoach Manchester's website says:

"The planned changes for the 370/371 has been postponed indefinately. If you have any concerns or questions please contact GMPTE."

Does this mean no 370 via Sale? (It certainly means Stagecoach can't spell indefinitely).

[JimmyMac]

The campaign for the reprieve of the 370 has been won already? Oh - jolly good, if a little unexpected! :)

[Darryl P Jones]

They might as well turn the 58 route into a circular route if they are extending it to bury via heywood. They`ll renumber it 401 next

[Shaun]

56 will run via Rochdale Road and Higher Blackley to North Manchester General Hospital, which will provide a quicker route to the hospital from Middleton than JPT's 156 and Bluebird's 115/116 services.

While the 58 is not good if you want to go from Rochdale to Bury (471 obviously provides that), it is good for people in Middleton, as it does provide a quicker route to Bury than the 163 and it is good for people in Oldham, as it provides a direct link to Bury, which is something that had been lost since the 400 and 401 were withdrawn, so the 58 extension to Bury isn't that stupid of an idea.

I think the 370 is being restored to its orginal route because GMITA did discuss it at their recent meeting and talked about the direct link between Northenden and Altrincham being lost. It would make more sense to use the 371 to provide the link between Stockport and Sale, as said before, as the 11 would cover a large part of the route. Northenden to Sale is still reached with the 41. The only problem with re-routing the 371 would be a slower journey to Altrincham from Cheadle and Gatley.

[Shaun]

Obviously First have spotted a potential problem with people getting on the 58 at Rochdale and made sure that the problem should be avoided by most people.

Buses are displaying Oldham then Bury via Middleton on the front of buses and Bury via Oldham on the side. I'm assuming that they've done this so that people don't get on at Rochdale who are wanting to go to Bury get the wrong bus. Particularly useful today given that First are on strike again in Bolton, Bury and Wigan.

[adlington]

the 371,23a,23,and 41 are all routed to arrive at altrincham interchange.gmpt although trying to promote public transport has none that goes into sale (marsland road). so it looks like public transport has to be the last resort (or a lengthy journey involving 2 or more buses and setting out at least 1.5 hours earlier)
i am a very disappointed member of the public who was hoping to use the service no 370 to arrive on marsland road

[adlington]

please please let us know what is happening with the change in 370 bus route if it gose ahead people from heaton moor, heaton mersey,didsbury and east disbury will be able to send thier childern on the 370bus to sale school,at the moment most parents are having to drop thier childern off