Guided busway welcomes passengers in the North West

Image: FirstGroup

The North West’s new guided busway has welcomed the first passengers aboard services on the 4.5-mile route.

Image: FirstGroup

The first guided busway in North West England has welcomed passengers ahead of full operation on Sunday 03 April 2016.

The development forms part of Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) £122 million bus priority investment. The package aims to increase reliability, punctuality of buses throughout the region.

The 4.5-mile bus-only guideway will provide a rapid connection for passengers via a unique concreate track. A fleet of 20 state-of-the-art buses, operated by First Manchester under the brand Vantage, will travel along the route connecting Leigh, Atherton and Manchester in as little as 50 minutes.

20 low-emission hybrid buses will enter service on the 4.5-mile guided busway

Each low-emission hybrid bus will provide Wi-Fi and USB charging points, lavish seating, audio and visual stop announcements and climate control. The seven purpose-built stops along the busway will have real-time travel information display boards, CCTV, a public address system and covered cycle parking.

Back row: Cllr Andrew Fender (Chair of the TfGM Committee) with Leigh MP Andy Burnham and Cllr Mark Aldred (Deputy Chair of the TfGM Committee). Front row: Special guests, Tyldesley residents Frank and Pat Parkinson.

Busway services will start as early as 4am and run beyond midnight, with up to eight buses an hour between Tyldesley and Manchester.

The investment includes three new park and ride facilities, catering for more than 400 cars in total, and a specially surfaced shared path alongside the busway which can be used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee, said: “Being able to finally welcome passengers aboard is a marvellous milestone in our commitment to make travel easier for everyone.

“By prioritising buses we not only make journey times quicker, more reliable and more attractive for passengers, we also help to tackle congestion and reduce emissions.

“Completion of the busway is a major technical achievement and our investment promises a significant boost for all the communities it serves, helping people reach key employment, healthcare, and retail and leisure facilities more easily than ever. I am grateful to those communities for their patience while the scheme was being completed.

“With the work now finished in these areas, our engineers are turning their attention to the last piece of the bus priority jigsaw in Manchester city centre.”

Ian Humphreys, Head of Commercial at First Manchester said: “First Manchester is proud to be working with TfGM, Wigan Council, Salford City Council and Manchester City Council in delivering the North West’s first guided busway.

“First Bus has a great track record of working in partnership to develop successful initiatives to grow bus use. I’m sure this busway will attract people onto public transport and help relieve congestion and support connectivity for people to places of employment, leisure and education.

“We look forward to welcoming customers on board who can look forward to travelling on premium, fast and reliable services at great value, low-price fares.”