Mayor Andy Burnham has set out Greater Manchester’s step-by-step plan to bring rail into the Bee Network by 2028, working with the rail industry. It is the next stage of his joined-up ‘London-style’
public transport system, intended to boost passenger numbers, drive growth and deliver new homes.
Developed in partnership with the rail industry, DfT and Shadow Great British Rail, the plan is aimed at not
only improving transport but unlocking major regeneration and housing opportunities on land around the city-region’s stations.
Greater Manchester’s proposition is for eight commuter rail lines, covering 64 stations, to be brought into the Bee Network in three phases, delivering major improvements to the city-region’s train stations, services and passenger experience – including integrated capped fares across bus, tram and train.
Under the plan, the first two lines – connecting Manchester to Glossop and Stalybridge – will join by December 2026. A further 32 stations and all lines within Greater Manchester would join by 2030.
The approach is expected to boost the number of trips by train by 1.3 million each year, with more people choosing public transport and more services running later and at the weekend. Doing so will foster more
sustainable economic growth, ensuring residents in new homes have rail connections right on the doorstep, connecting them to even more opportunities.
By 2028, the plan for Bee Network rail integration is scheduled to deliver:
* Tap in, tap out ticketing: First, contactless tap in tap out ticketing will, working with government, be rolled out across commuter rail lines. Passengers will also get a more joined-up experience, with the ability to buy rail tickets through the Bee Network app and travel shops at stations becoming one-stop-shops for all tickets and information across bus, tram and train.
* Simpler fares across bus, tram and train: Greater Manchester’s aim is then to simplify the complex rail fare structure that can put people off travelling. This would be done by expanding the daily and weekly fare caps (already being introduced on Bee Network buses and trams this March) to include train travel. An example of this simplification is that those travelling from Glossop could tap in on the train and then use all buses or trams in Greater Manchester. Rather than worrying about having the right ticket – or buying individual tickets – the best fare would be calculated for them by TfGM. This would have a daily and a weekly cap, give passengers more flexibility and would be cheaper than buying separate tickets. Delivery of such fare capping across bus, tram and train will be subject to agreement with Government on the approach to national fare reform.
* Bee Network stations and trains: All 64 stations on the initial eight lines will be brought up to an exemplar Greater Manchester standard – including Bee Network branding, new safety and accessibility features, upgraded toilet and waiting facilities, and improved passenger information. A trial of Bee Network branded trains will also run in the first of three phases. A further 32 stations will be incorporated by 2030.
* New homes and regeneration around stations: The programme will put the city-region’s rail stations at the heart of connected communities, with underused land around stations identified for employment and
regeneration opportunities. This will include a delivery plan to unlock an initial 750 new homes close to rail stations by 2028.
* Service improvements: Greater Manchester leaders will 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 – using opportunities such as Old Trafford – with the aim of moving more freight journeys outside the city centre.
* A step-change in making stations accessible for all passengers: Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) 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. Work at Irlam and Daisy Hill stations is set to complete this year, with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) set to consider funding allocations for further priority stations at a meeting next week.
* New rail stations: Plans for a new train station in Golborne have also taken a major step forward, with Government approving the outline business case. The £32 million station will reconnect Golborne to the
railway for the first time in more than 60 years. With the Department for Transport green light, TfGM, GMCA and Wigan Council can now develop a full business case and detailed design this year. Subject to approvals, work is expected begin in 2026 with the first trains hoped to stop there in 2027.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:
“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. Building on the success of bringing our buses back under local control, we’re planning a phased approach to bringing eight commuter lines and their stations into the Bee Network. It will start with lines between the city centre and Glossop and Stalybridge and then expand each year between now and 2028.”
Pic: TfGM
