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Greater Manchester Buses - Bee Network 2025 & 2026
Since the introduction
of the third and final tranche of the ‘Bee Network’ in January 2025, the independent
transport videos cameras have returned to the Greater Manchester area
to record the contemporary bus scene now that it is fully established. Our cameras visited Bolton in April 2025,
Bury and Middleton in September 2025, Manchester city centre in April 2026 and
in July 2026 visited Wigan, Oldham, Stockport and Altrincham. In spite of a complete bus network in one
livery there are still plenty of different vehicle types to keep the bus
enthusiast interested both diesel and electric.
The buses are not allowed to show their owner’s fleet names on the pale
yellow Bee Network livery, but can easily be identified by their legal
lettering and their individual fleet numbers.
For example Stagecoach Manchester and First Manchester have
their five-digit number series, Go Ahead’s Go North West (GNW) have a
four-digit series and Metroline Manchester have their alpha-numeric
system. Rotala’s Diamond Bus have a
very similar series to Stagecoach so a double-check on the legal lettering has
to be done!
Our programme begins in BOLTON with filming locations on Great Moor Street, Newport Street and the bus station. Here we see mostly GNW buses in service. Look out for 6173 (YX10 EYU) in GM Buses heritage livery. This bus was new to East Yorkshire before moving to Go North East and then to its current home. Our next location is BURY where we film in Haymarket Street and in the bus station. Here we see buses from Stagecoach, GNW, Diamond and First Manchester. The Mercedes Sprinters you see are operated by both Stagecoach and First. Now we move onto MIDDLETON where we film on Middleton Way and at the bus station. Plenty of action here with buses from Stagecoach, GNW, Diamond and First Manchester both diesel and electric. As you would expect a visit to MANCHESTER city centre brings plenty of variety in locations such as Princess Street, Portland Street, Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly for good measure. Here we see the Volvo BZL/MCV double and single-deck buses running with Stagecoach and Metroline, new Wrightbus StreetDeck Ultraliners with Metroline as well as new ADL Enviro400EV double-deckers with both Metroline and Stagecoach. We also see GNW in action with some Volvo B5LH Wrightbus double-deckers in the old GNW livery and former London MCV-bodied ones in action.
We then head back north to visit WIGAN bus station. Here we see GNW and Diamond buses in action with visits from Arriva Merseyside buses running in from St Helens and Warrington. GNW training bus 6172 (YX10 EYT) is seen in heritage Wigan Corporation livery. At OLDHAM we visit the town’s bus station and Oldham Mumps interchange bus station. Here we see Stagecoach and Diamond. Most of the fleet here are electric with both ADL Enviro400City-bodied BYD double-deckers and ADL Enviro400EV double-deckers. We now move to STOCKPORT to film at the new bus station and along Swaine Street. Here we see Stagecoach and Metroline Manchester in action as well as visits from Trent Barton with their ‘Skyline’ service and a Belle Vue of Stockport midibus. You will also see new ADL Enviro400City diesel double-deckers here, as there are currently no electric charging facilities in the Stagecoach Stockport depot. A good variety of both new double and single-decker buses are seen here alongside older Stagecoach buses in previous liveries with Bee Network stickers applied. Our final location is ALTRINCHAM where our cameras film at the bus, tram, and train interchange. This is served by buses from Metroline, Stagecoach and Diamond. We hope you enjoy your Bee Network update!
Our programme begins in BOLTON with filming locations on Great Moor Street, Newport Street and the bus station. Here we see mostly GNW buses in service. Look out for 6173 (YX10 EYU) in GM Buses heritage livery. This bus was new to East Yorkshire before moving to Go North East and then to its current home. Our next location is BURY where we film in Haymarket Street and in the bus station. Here we see buses from Stagecoach, GNW, Diamond and First Manchester. The Mercedes Sprinters you see are operated by both Stagecoach and First. Now we move onto MIDDLETON where we film on Middleton Way and at the bus station. Plenty of action here with buses from Stagecoach, GNW, Diamond and First Manchester both diesel and electric. As you would expect a visit to MANCHESTER city centre brings plenty of variety in locations such as Princess Street, Portland Street, Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly for good measure. Here we see the Volvo BZL/MCV double and single-deck buses running with Stagecoach and Metroline, new Wrightbus StreetDeck Ultraliners with Metroline as well as new ADL Enviro400EV double-deckers with both Metroline and Stagecoach. We also see GNW in action with some Volvo B5LH Wrightbus double-deckers in the old GNW livery and former London MCV-bodied ones in action.
We then head back north to visit WIGAN bus station. Here we see GNW and Diamond buses in action with visits from Arriva Merseyside buses running in from St Helens and Warrington. GNW training bus 6172 (YX10 EYT) is seen in heritage Wigan Corporation livery. At OLDHAM we visit the town’s bus station and Oldham Mumps interchange bus station. Here we see Stagecoach and Diamond. Most of the fleet here are electric with both ADL Enviro400City-bodied BYD double-deckers and ADL Enviro400EV double-deckers. We now move to STOCKPORT to film at the new bus station and along Swaine Street. Here we see Stagecoach and Metroline Manchester in action as well as visits from Trent Barton with their ‘Skyline’ service and a Belle Vue of Stockport midibus. You will also see new ADL Enviro400City diesel double-deckers here, as there are currently no electric charging facilities in the Stagecoach Stockport depot. A good variety of both new double and single-decker buses are seen here alongside older Stagecoach buses in previous liveries with Bee Network stickers applied. Our final location is ALTRINCHAM where our cameras film at the bus, tram, and train interchange. This is served by buses from Metroline, Stagecoach and Diamond. We hope you enjoy your Bee Network update!
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| Filmed : | 2025 & 2026 |
| Duration : | 90 mins |
| Price : | Within UK - £16 |
| Rest of world - £18 | |
| Format : | DVD -R |
| Picture Aspect 16:9 | |
| Order Ref : | D513 |
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