All Manchester boroughs gain Bee Network night bus routes 2026

Key Points

• Night bus services from the Bee Network are now available in all Greater Manchester boroughs following the launch of five additional 24-hour routes on Thursday night.
• These night bus services operate non-stop between Thursday and Sunday nights, increasing the total weekly distance covered by 1,630 kilometers to 2,596 kilometers.
• Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig stated that this is going to make the life easier for both travelers as well as the staff of the 625,400-strong night time economy.
• According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), over 209,000 journeys have already been made via Bee Network night buses since their implementation.
• The move was warmly welcomed by the hospitality leaders, including Hannah Gee, Chair of Oldham Evening and Night Time Economy.
• Further changes to the Bee Network are also scheduled, including new or improved routes in Wigan, Bolton, Rochdale and Bury.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) September 04, 2026 – Bee Network night buses are now serving passengers in every Greater Manchester borough, transport bosses have announced, marking a major milestone in the region’s franchised bus network expansion. On Thursday night, five new 24-hour routes were introduced, connecting Stockport, Salford and Trafford with Manchester city centre alongside existing overnight services, ensuring round-the-clock coverage across all ten boroughs from Thursday through Sunday.

What are the new Bee Network night bus routes and how do they operate?

The newly established night services operate continuously from Thursday night through to Sunday, providing 24-hour connectivity on those days to support late-shift workers, nightlife visitors and early-morning commuters. According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the additional routes will deliver an extra 1,630 scheduled kilometres each week, building on the 2,596 kilometres already covered by existing night buses across the region.

As reported by journalists at the Manchester Evening News, the five new 24-hour routes link key employment and leisure hubs in Stockport, Salford and Trafford directly with Manchester city centre, extending the reach of the Bee Network’s overnight offer beyond the initial boroughs that had night services. TfGM has published full route details and timetables on its website and via live departure boards at major interchanges, enabling passengers to plan journeys across the integrated network.

How will the Bee Network night bus expansion affect workers and businesses?

A TfGM spokesperson said expanding the night bus network will offer the 625,400 individuals engaged in Greater Manchester’s night-time economy – along with the multitude enjoying the region’s nightlife – a safe, dependable and cost‑effective means of late‑night travel. “From hospitality to healthcare, this ensures that more individuals can utilise Bee Network buses at any hour,” the spokesperson added, highlighting the role of overnight transport in supporting essential services as well as leisure and retail.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig said: “By expanding the Bee Network, we are simplifying bus travel for everyone, day and night. The introduction of these five new night bus routes ensures that every borough in Greater Manchester is supported by a round‑the‑clock service.” She continued: “Our night buses will serve as a crucial resource for the hundreds of thousands contributing to the night‑time economy and working in vital public services. Additionally, they will enhance business opportunities by connecting late‑night routes to even more customers. Whether returning home from a theatre outing or heading to an early hospital shift, people can now rely on the night bus as a safe and economical option to reach any borough.”

What have local leaders and industry representatives said about the rollout?

Hannah Gee, chair of the Oldham Evening and Night Time Economy group, expressed support for the return of night bus services in Oldham, noting the financial and safety pressures faced by hospitality staff reliant on late‑night taxis. “Working in the hospitality industry often means relying on expensive late‑night Ubers that can consume a significant portion of your earnings, along with the uncertainty of finding a ride. This is more common than you might think. With the reinstatement of a late‑night bus service in Oldham, our late‑night hospitality workers will benefit from safer, more reliable and cost‑effective travel,” Gee said, according to coverage in the Manchester Evening News.

TfGM also highlighted early uptake figures, stating that more than 209,000 rides have already been taken on Bee Network night buses since the phased rollout began, underscoring demand for integrated, franchised overnight services. The authority pointed to ongoing improvements across the network, including route changes and frequency boosts designed to connect more communities to jobs, education and healthcare at all hours.

Which areas are seeing further Bee Network improvements alongside night buses?

Alongside the night bus expansion, TfGM and local councils have been implementing daytime service enhancements and new routes across multiple boroughs. Bolton Council reported that passengers became the first to ride new and revised routes serving Middlebrook from August 30, with the number 36 late‑night service from Bolton to Manchester continuing on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and additional mid‑week trips added. Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “The Bee Network belongs to the people of Greater Manchester and it needs to work for every community. We’re bringing night buses to every borough, launching new routes and ensuring buses run more often in the mornings, evenings and weekends.”

In Wigan and Leigh, the V2 service linking Atherton to Manchester Royal Infirmary via the Leigh Guided Busway is returning to a full‑time schedule, with ambitions to increase daytime frequency on the V1 and V2 to at least eight buses in each direction every hour. TfGM has promoted these changes alongside the wider Bee Network launch timetable, signalling a coordinated push to improve reliability and coverage across both day and night services.

Further route developments are scheduled in the coming months, with TfGM indicating that the V route in Wigan and the 36 route in Bolton are set to launch on September 4, followed by the 17 route in Rochdale and the 135 route in Bury in September 2025, as part of the staged expansion of the franchised network. Alison Chew, a senior figure involved in the Bee Network rollout, said the 36 service changes alone mean 740,000 people living near improved services across Greater Manchester will benefit, describing the visible changes on the ground as “brilliant” and thanking franchised operators for delivering the timetable.

Background: how did Greater Manchester’s bus franchising lead to night bus expansion?

In September 2023, Greater Manchester regained local oversight of its bus services, marking the first time in 40 years that a UK area has done so, and laying the groundwork for integrated planning of routes, fares and timetables under the Bee Network brand. Earlier this year, local leaders committed to extending night services across all ten boroughs of the region, arguing that fragmented, commercially driven schedules had left shift workers and nightlife users without reliable late options. The franchising model enables Transport for Greater Manchester to specify services – including overnight routes – that meet social and economic objectives rather than relying solely on commercial viability, allowing night buses to be planned as part of a region‑wide network rather than as isolated corridors.

Prediction: how could universal night bus coverage affect commuters, shift workers and the night‑time economy?

Universal night bus coverage across Greater Manchester is likely to reduce transport costs for late‑shift workers in hospitality, healthcare and logistics, who have previously depended on taxis or private cars for journeys outside standard operating hours. By providing a predictable, lower‑cost alternative, the Bee Network night services could improve job accessibility for residents in outer boroughs, support retention in sectors with high staff turnover, and encourage more people to use public transport for evening leisure, potentially boosting footfall in town centres and entertainment districts. Over time, consistent overnight connectivity may also influence housing and employment patterns, as reliable late services make it more feasible for people to live further from city centres while still accessing night‑time jobs and amenities.