UK: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has set out a phased approach to bring rail into the Bee Network of public transport services which is now being rolled out across the conurbation.
Burnham said on January 21 that he expected eight commuter rail lines covering 64 stations to be brought into the Bee Network in three phases running to the end of 2028.
The first two routes, linking Manchester with Glossop and Stalybridge, will join by December 2026. By 2030, a further 32 stations and all local rail routes within Greater Manchester are planned to be included.
The roll-out plan has been developed in partnership with the Department for Transport and Shadow Great British Railways. Key elements of the Bee Network Rail proposition will include contactless ‘tap in, tap out’ pay-as-you-go ticketing; fare integration with local buses and tram services; renovated stations which would all meet a designated Bee Network standard; and a trial of Bee-branded rolling stock.
The plans also envisage significant investment to develop under-utilised land around stations. Transport authority TfGM said it would ‘work with the government and the rail industry to improve reliability and implement service changes to drive growth. Opportunities to optimise both freight and passenger journeys will also be explored.’
This is expected to include tying rail enhancements into major urban regeneration projects, such as the planned redevelopment of the freight terminal and adjacent land around Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium.
Pan-industry delivery
TfGM says it will work with the rail industry to accelerate delivery of accessibility improvements, with over 60% of stations on the eight lines to have step-free access by 2028, compared to 43% at the end of 2024.
There are also ambitions to add more stations to the local rail network. The first of these is expected to open at Golborne on the West Coast Main Line south of Wigan by 2027, the government having given approved the outline business case in December. It would be served by a new Wigan – Manchester service running via the WCML and the Chat Moss line, augmenting the existing services via Bolton and Atherton.
Three stages
The three phases of the roll-out will cover:
- Phase 1, by December 2026: Contactless ticketing at 17 stations on the first two lines between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge and Manchester Piccadilly and Glossop. Passengers will also see a trial of Bee Network branded trains, stations brought up to Bee Network standards, and ‘stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Stalybridge showcasing the integrated approach in action’;
- Phase 2, by December 2027: Roll-out of contactless ticketing on a further two lines, including services connecting Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport, Alderley Edge and Buxton via Stockport. The stations on these corridors will join the Bee Network, with a ‘flagship station at Manchester Airport, creating an international travel hub as the gateway to the city-region’;
- Phase 3, by December 2028: local services on the Rochdale, Wigan via Atherton, Wigan via Bolton and Wigan via Golborne lines will enter the Bee Network, with these stations being upgraded to the new standard.
TfGM said that while the Bee Network rail plans ‘signal a significant change for passengers, fundamental reform is needed to give the city-region further powers to realise its plan in full’.
Both the government’s Rail Reform Bill and the English Devolution White Paper published in December include proposals for a formal statutory role for Mayoral Combined Authorities in managing local rail provision. ‘Greater Manchester is working with government to shape new arrangements on funding, governance, services, fares and network specification, supporting the national agenda to reform how the railways are planned and run’, TfGM said.
Commenting on the plans, Burnham said that delivering change on the railways was ‘notoriously complex, but our phased plan has been drawn up with and has the backing of the rail industry. We’ll continue to work with government as Great British Rail is established to support them on the national reform, enacting the rail powers outlined in the English Devolution White Paper and supporting the Government’s agenda.
‘Our rail system today is acting as a brake on growth and, as the UK’s fastest growing city-region, Greater Manchester deserves better. We need a railway that is reliable and fully integrated with the rest of the Bee Network to drive growth and deliver new homes with public transport connections on the doorstep’, Burnham insisted.
Welcoming the proposals, Network Rail’s North West & Central Managing Director Rob McIntosh said that ‘Network Rail is committed to a process of devolution that benefits our passengers, partners and the taxpayer. We know that rail is key to a locally integrated transport system and therefore fundamental to unlocking growth and opportunity. That’s why we are delighted to support and help Greater Manchester deliver these Bee Network ambitions.’
