First trains to join Manchester’s Bee Network by end of 2026
2025-12-11 17:00
The first passenger trains in the Bee Network will join by the end of 2026, after Greater Manchester disclosed the next steps in its ambitious transport system.
Unveiling a yellow-branded Northern train, the regional mayor, Andy Burnham, said two lines from central Manchester – to Glossop and Stalybridge – would join the network in a year, allowing contactless travel with fares capped across trains, buses and trams.
The city region is on track to create the UK’s first fully integrated public transport system outside London, after taking back control of buses along with the Metrolink. Passengers will be able to tap in and out for travel across 17 railway stations by the end of next year, and all those in Greater Manchester are planned to be within the Bee Network by 2030.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said immediate benefits included passengers having tickets accepted across bus, tram and train in times of disruption. Better journey planning and real-time rail and disruption information would soon be added to the TfGM and Bee Network website and apps, it said.
In 2027, TfGM expects to run more and later rail services on lines to Manchester airport, Alderley Edge in Cheshire and Rochdale, and by 2028 to fully integrate eight rail lines into the Bee Network.
Burnham said: “We are on the cusp of delivering a fully integrated, world-class transport system for our global city-region. These changes will make everyday journeys easier and open up new opportunities for people across Greater Manchester.
“Bringing rail into the Bee Network, alongside our long-term vision for rail in Greater Manchester, are all part of our plan and commitment to maximise good growth across the city region for the next decade and beyond, which our residents and businesses deserve.”
The rail minister, Peter Hendy, said rail reform was giving local leaders more power and support and “creating a fairer, more prosperous transport network”. He added: “This investment is not just about better journeys – it’s helping to unlock jobs, drive economic growth and support new homes across the region.”
The Bee Network, with its yellow-branded vehicles echoing Manchester’s worker emblem, was launched just over two years ago, the result of a long project by Burnham to improve the city’s deregulated and haphazard buses.
Contactless payments were introduced on the buses this year, allowing capped and integrated fares across the bus network and the Metrolink trams.
Manchester’s announcement came as fare rises were confirmed for commuters in London, totalling a 5.8% increase from March. The capital’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, said most single tube journeys would rise by either 10p or 20p, but he would use city hall funds to freeze bus fares for another four months. Weekly and daily caps will not change, potentially sparing the most frequent transport users from an increase.
Khan said the increases were mandated as part of the government’s £2.2bn funding deal, but added that he was “committed to doing everything in my power to keep TfL fares as affordable as possible”.