Metroshuttle

Not to be confused with Manchester Metrolink.

Metroshuttle is a free bus system that operates in Greater Manchester.

The system was first introduced in Manchester city centre in 2002, with three routes linking the city's major thoroughfares and stations with its main commercial, financial and cultural districts.

In later years, similar services were introduced in Stockport, Bolton and Oldham.

Manchester

History

File:Manchester free zone bus.jpg

First Manchester Optare Solo on Manchester route 2 in October 2007

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First Manchester Optare Solo on Manchester route 1 in October 2009

Manchester's Metroshuttle first began operating in September 2002 and replaced the previous Centreline city centre operation. First Manchester was chosen by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to operate the service and has retained the contract. Two routes were introduced, numbered 1 and 2. The service was extremely successful. Route 3 was introduced in September 2005 and links additional areas of the city centre.

The Metroshuttle routes will change in June 2015.

Partnership

Manchester's Metroshuttle is a partnership between TfGM, Manchester City Council, National Car Parks and the property developer Allied London. The service is zero-fare (free) and does not require any tickets or passes. Allied London own the Spinningfields mixed-use development and all three routes serve this site. The service is also partially supported by advertising. First Greater Manchester provides a publicity contribution. The free service costs approximately £1.2 million each year.

Routes

The Manchester Metroshuttle network consists of three services, each operated by First Greater Manchester. The services were originally operated using a dedicated fleet of 18 Optare Solo minibuses with route branding applied for all services, Route 1 (orange), Route 2 (green), Route 3 (purple). Some Solos carried a generic livery, consisting of silver-grey in place of the route colours allowing them to be used on any route. In November 2010, 20 electric hybrids Optare Versas replaced the Solos. In July 2014, three electric Optare Versas were introduced. Metroshuttle bus stops also share the same route colour of the appropriate bus stopping there.

On 28th June 2015, following the temporary closure of the St Peter's Square Metrolink (tram) stop, the 3 bus routes were altered to provide faster connections between the Deansgate, Piccadilly and Victoria railway stations in Manchester City centre. The below information about the routes is not correct for the duration of the St Peter's Square rebuilding work taking place during July and August 2015.

Metroshuttle Route 1	Metroshuttle Route 2	Metroshuttle Route 3
Piccadilly Rail Station Piccadilly/Chatham St - for Piccadilly Gardens Charlotte St/Portland St - for Chorlton Street Coach Station Charlotte St/Mosley St - for City Art Gallery and Chinatown King Street - for Albert Square and Manchester Town Hall John Dalton Street - for John Rylands Library Bridge Street* Gartside Street* Spinningfields* Deansgate/John Rylands Library* King Street West Barton Arcade - for House of Fraser and St Annes Square St Marys Gate - for Harvey Nichols, Marks & Spencer and Triangle Cross Street - for Manchester Arndale King Street York Street - for Piccadilly Gardens and Mosley Street Piccadilly Plaza Central Coach Station Chorlton Street Piccadilly Rail Station Operator: First Greater Manchester Times: 07:00–18:00 Monday-Saturday, every 6 minutes 18:00–19:00 (or 18:00–21:00 November and December only) Monday-Saturday, every 10 minutes 10:00–18:00 Sunday, every 10 minutes	Shudehill Interchange - for The Printworks Manchester Victoria - for Victoria Train Station, Urbis and Manchester Arena Manchester Cathedral Barton Arcade - for House of Fraser and St Annes Square John Rylands Library - for Spinningfields Great Northern Warehouse - for Manchester Central (Conference Centre) and Great Northern Leisure & Shopping Castlefield - for Beetham Tower Deansgate Station - for Castlefield Gallery, Deansgate Locks and Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink station Medlock St/Grand Island Medlock St/Mancunian Way Hulme Street - for University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University Oxford Road - for BBC Manchester Manchester Oxford Road Station - for Cornerhouse and Palace Theatre Whitworth St West The Haçienda - for Bridgewater Hall Deansgate Station Liverpool Road for Castlefield Arena Museum of Science and Industry - for Museum of Science and Industry and Air & Space Museum Lower Byron St - for Granada TV and Manchester Opera House Spinningfields Deansgate/John Rylands Library King Street West Barton Arcade - for St Annes Square St Mary's Gate Corporation Street - for Manchester Arndale, Urbis, Printworks and Victoria Station Shudehill Interchange Operator: First Greater Manchester Times: 07:00–19:00 Monday-Saturday, every 10 minutes 10:00–18:00 Sunday, every 10 minutes	Piccadilly Rail Station Piccadilly/Chatham St - for Piccadilly Gardens Charlotte St/Portland St - for Chorlton Street Coach Station Portland St/CUBE Oxford Street/St Peter's Square - for Manchester Central Library Peter Street - for Great Northern and Manchester Central (Conference Centre) Quay Street/Opera House Quay Street/Granada TV New Quay Street - for MANCAT Salford Central railway station Gartside Street Spinningfields - for John Rylands Library Peter Street Mount Street - for Central Library and St Peter's Square Albert Square Town Hall City Art Gallery - for Chinatown Princess Street Whitworth Street - for Palace Theatre, City College and Chorlton Street Coach Station Piccadilly Rail Station Operator: First Greater Manchester Times: 07:00–19:00 Monday-Saturday, every 10 minutes No service on Sundays

* denotes peak hours only

Bolton

History

Bolton's Metroshuttle first began operating on 17 November 2008 and follows a similar operation to Manchester's Metroshuttle on a 12-month trial. Bluebird was chosen by TfGM to operate the service. The company ran the service until 25 January 2010, when local company Maytree Travel took over the operation of the service. The service has been re-routed on two occasions, the first to serve the Sainsbury's supermarket in the town, and then again in January 2011, when the service was given a 12-month contract extension and re-routed to serve the university. This route change saw the service reduced from every 10 minutes to every 15 minutes.

In November 2012, it was announced that the contract for the service had been extended for another year and that South Lancs Travel had been successful in winning the tender for the Bolton Metroshuttle. The company took over the operation of the service from 31 December 2012 and uses diesel hybrid vehicles purchased by Transport for Greater Manchester.

Partnership

Bolton's Metroshuttle is a partnership between GMPTA and Bolton Council. The service is completely zero-fare (free) and does not require any tickets or passes. The free service will cost approximately £200,000 per year.

Route

Bolton's Metroshuttle originally consisted of two 25-seater Alexander Dennis Enviro200 single decker buses, with black and red route branding, although this has changed following Maytree Travel taking over the service, who replaced it with a blue branding. The service starts on Newport Street, outside Bolton Interchange, before running anti-clockwise around the town centre using existing stops within the town centre before returning to Newport Street.

Route 500

Newport Street - for Bolton Interchange Sainsbury's Superstore Bradshawgate #1 - for Bolton College Bradshawgate #2 - for Crompton Place Shopping Centre Deansgate Bridge Street - for Market Place Shopping Centre St George's Road Knowsley Street - for Market Place Shopping Centre Black Horse Street stop CC - for Bolton Bus Station , Market and Octagon Theatre Derby Street - for Morrisons Black Horse Street Newport Street - for Morrisons Newport Street - for Bolton Interchange Operator: South Lancs Travel Times: 09:00–17:00 Monday-Saturday, every 12 minutes

Stockport

History

Stockport's Metroshuttle first began operating during Christmas 2007 as a complementary shuttle designed to help ferry the elderly and disabled around Stockport more easily. It was reintroduced on 29 November 2008 as permanent fixture. Branded the Stockport Shuttle Bus it was operated by Solutions SK on behalf of Stockport Council, before operations switched to Freshfield Coaches the following month, after it was revealed that SolutionsSK had been operating the service with a freight licence. The service was re-branded in August 2009 to form part of the Metroshuttle network, and was given a new livery to mark the change. Prior to this, the fleet (consisting of Optare Solos) were unpainted and fairly run down, even lacking roll blinds. The fleet was replaced with new Alexander Dennis Enviro200s, fitted with digital displays. In 2010, the operator of the service changed, with Oldham based Swan's Travel taking over the service on a short-term basis, before being replaced by Bluebird in October 2010. Bluebird ran the service until March 2011, when the service was taken over by Stagecoach Manchester, who run the majority of services in Stockport. Stagecoach ran the service until 1 July 2012, when it was transferred to Arriva North West's Wythenshawe depot.

Route

Stockport's Metroshuttle runs in two loops around Stockport town centre and use existing stops, as well as dedicated stops in areas where other services do not operate within the town centre. The service starts from Stockport bus station and runs to Stockport railway station via Grand Central Stockport before returning to the bus station then via Mersey Square, Bridgefield Street, Warren Street (for Sainsbury's and Asda), Great Portland Street to Tesco before returning via Knightsbridge, Warren Street (for Sainsbury's and Asda again), Millgate, Churchgate, Little Underbank and Great Underbank to Stockport Bus Station.

Route 300

Stockport Bus Station (Stand C) - for Hat Museum St Peter's Square High Street Piccadilly - for Magistrates Court Edward Street - for Stockport Town Hall Stockport railway station - for railway station and Grand Central Leisure Complex Exchange Street - for Garrick Theatre Stockport Bus Station (Stand W) Mersey Square - for Merseyway Shopping Centre Bridgefield Street Princes Street Warren Street - for Sainsbury's and Asda Great Portwood Street - for Peel Centre and retail park Tesco Extra Great Portwood Street - for Peel Centre and retail park Knightsbridge Bridge Street Warren Street - for Sainsbury's and Asda Churchgate - for Staircase House and Stockport Market Wellington Street Lower Hillgate Great Underbank Chestergate - for Air Raid Shelter Stockport Bus Station (stand C) Operator: Arriva North West Times: 08:00–18:00 Monday-Saturday, every 12 minutes 10:30–17:00 Sunday, every 12 minutes

Oldham

History

In June 2012, the Manchester Metrolink tram network started running services to Oldham with trams running to a temporary Oldham Mumps Metrolink station located near the former railway station before trams start running into the town centre and a new Mumps stop in 2014. Following criticism of long walks up steep hils into the town centre from passengers, Transport for Greater Manchester and Oldham Council organised a free service linking the tram stop with the town centre.

The service was branded as Metroshuttle and started service on 30 July 2012 running a half-hourly service. From 1 October 2012, the service increased to every 20 minutes with Optare Versa hybrids, similar to the ones used on the Manchester Metroshuttle services, also introduced.

The service was extended to run until 20:00 on Thursdays from mid-November 2012 until Christmas and also on weekdays on the week before Christmas to appeal to Christmas shoppers in Oldham.

Route

Oldham's Metroshuttle starts outside the Metrolink station on Victoria Street. The service then heads to Oldham town centre along the Oldham Way by-pass (A62 before heading into town via King Street stopping near Mecca Bingo. The service had previously ran temporarily to the Manchester Street roundabout and then up Manchester Street, stopping outside Aldi while King Street was closed due to the Metrolink work going on in the town centre.

From King Street, the service continues into the town centre and the bus station, stopping at the Cheapside station at stand C. The route then follows the same route as several of the fare-paying services via St Mary's Way, Lord Street, Yorkshire Street and Princes Street back onto the Oldham Way before looping around to the tram stop on the other side of the carriageway via Huddersfield Road, Cross Street and Lees Road. An additional stop on Lees Road was introduced from October 2012.

Route 400

Oldham Mumps Metrolink station for trams to Manchester city centre, Chorlton and St Werburgh's Road King Street - for Oldham College and Oldham Sixth Form College Oldham bus station (stand C) - for buses, Town Square/Spindles shopping centre, Magistrates Court and Civic Centre Lord Street (stop LB) - for Oldham Sports Centre and Tommyfield Market Yorkshire Street (stop YB) - for Oldham library, Sainsburys and Town Square/Spindles shopping centre Yorkshire Street (stop A) Lees Road/Cross Street Oldham Mumps Metrolink station Operator: Manchester Community Transport Times: 09:40–16:20 daily, every 20 minutes

Future

Following the success of Metroshuttle, Transport for Greater Manchester have been studying the feasibility of introducing Metroshuttle routes in other towns in Greater Manchester, to provide a high-quality town centre bus service that links key public transport nodes and car parks with the main retail, commercial, leisure and cultural destinations within town centres.

Other towns like Bury and Wigan had been mentioned to gain routes, however, the chances of this happening were reduced following the rejection of the Manchester Congestion Charge in December 2008. However, Oldham gained a Metroshuttle service in July 2012.

See also

• List of bus operators of the United Kingdom

External links

• Bolton, Manchester and Stockport Metroshuttle Information page (TfGM)
• Oldham Metroshuttle Information page (Oldham Council)
• Bolton Metroshuttle Route Map (TfGM)
• Manchester Metroshuttle Route Map (TfGM)
• Stockport Metroshuttle Route Map (TfGM)
• Oldham Metroshuttle Route Map (Oldham Council)