![]() | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Pennine Blue, later known as First Pennine, was a bus company serving the Tameside area of Greater Manchester, England. It was an independent bus company running services to/from Ashton-under-Lyne in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its depot was initially based at Britannia Street in Ashton-Under-Lyne, before moving to the Globe Industrial Estate in Dukinfield, and finally to the current location on Broadway in Dukinfield where it now operates as first pioneer.
The first route to be operated was the 348 service from Mossley, Micklehurst, via Ashton under Lyne to Denton and Haughton Green. This followed the route of the GMBuses 348 service from Haughton Green to Ashton, and the 350 service to Micklehurst. At a later date this service was further extended to Hey Farm. Further developments saw the introduction of a 351 service from Ashton to Carrbrook in Stalybridge, a 346 service from Hyde to Droylsden via the GMB 346 route to Ashton, and then the GMB 382 route to Droylsden. Journeys were also introduced on the 347 service from Ashton to Haughton Green, the 409 to Oldham and on the 42 along the Oxford Road corridor out of Manchester. In the later days of the service, Pennine Blue also operated some journeys on the famous Trans-Lancs Express 400 service, between Stockport and Ashton. Stockport was also served by the 328 service from Mossley via Denton, the 330 from Ashton and Hyde, and also a 381 service from Ashton and Denton.
The company operated a large and varied fleet of Bristol RE single deck buses, a number of which were bought from Belfast. A couple of Leyland Nationals were also bought. Double deckers included a number of ECW bodied Bristol VRTs, at least one former GMT Standard, and a Leeds 'Jumbo' Leyland Atlantean. A number of minibuses were also operated; under the name 'Baby Blue' and were given the names of cartoon characters. Their first new bus was an Optare MetroRider named 'Dennis the Menace' which arrived around the time of the takeover by PMT, appearing in Pennine Blue's familiar blue and cream livery, the second followed soon after and named 'Beryl the Peril'/ Following the take over by PMT, a large number of PMT Bristol VRTs were drafted into the fleet, some of which were painted into the Pennine Blue livery, although this did not last long. [1]
The company was taken over by PMT in the mid-1990s and would adopt the PMT livery to its services, which resulted in the change of the name from Pennine Blue to Pennine, as the livery changed from blue to yellow and red. The first vehicles to appear in the red and yellow livery, with the addition of a Badgerline group Badger were two ex Bristol dual door Bristol VRTs. The company would change to First Pennine in light of the 1995 merger of GRT Group Holdings and Badgerline PLC and the formation of FirstBus. In the early 21st century, First Pennine would become part of First Greater Manchester. Although, officially the services in Tameside are First Manchester services, First had registered the services as First Pennine but are now registered to first pioneer.
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in England. It is named after the River Tame, which flows through the borough, and includes the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western border is approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Manchester city centre. Tameside is bordered by the metropolitan boroughs of Stockport and Oldham to the south and north respectively, the city of Manchester to the west and the borough of High Peak in Derbyshire to the east across Longdendale. As of 2011 the overall population was 219,324. It is also the 8th-most populous borough of Greater Manchester by population.
Denton is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, five miles (8 km) east of Manchester city centre. Historically part of Lancashire, it had a population of 36,591 at the 2011 Census.
Dukinfield is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, on the south bank of the River Tame opposite Ashton-under-Lyne, 6.3 miles (10.1 km) east of Manchester. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 19,306.
Hyde is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, which had a population of 34,003 in 2011.
Mossley (/ˈmɒzli/) is a town and civil parish in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, in the upper Tame Valley and the foothills of the Pennines, 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Oldham and 8.9 miles (14.3 km) east of Manchester.
Droylsden is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, 4.1 miles (6.6 km) east of Manchester city centre and 2.2 miles (3.5 km) west of Ashton-under-Lyne, with a population at the 2011 Census of 22,689.
Denton and Reddish is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Andrew Gwynne of the Labour Party.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust is an integrated foundation Trust that operates from Tameside General Hospital situated in Ashton-under-Lyne. It serves the surrounding area of Tameside in Greater Manchester, and the town of Glossop and other smaller towns and villages in the north western part of the High Peak district of Derbyshire. Employing approximately 3,800 staff, the Trust provides a range of services both within the hospital and in the local community. This includes Accident and Emergency services, and full consultant-led obstetric and paediatric hospital services for women, children and babies.
GM Buses was the main bus company serving the ten metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester in North West England. The company was formed in 1986 by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive. In December 1993, it was split into GM Buses North and GM Buses South in order to increase competition for services in the area, before they were sold to FirstGroup and Stagecoach respectively.
Whit Friday, meaning "white Friday", is the name given to the first Friday after Pentecost or Whitsun.
Velopark is a tram stop on the East Manchester Line (EML) of Greater Manchester's light-rail Metrolink system. It opened on 11 February 2013, after a three-day free trial for local residents. The stop was constructed as part of Phase 3a of the Metrolink's expansion, and is located beside Manchester Velodrome, in Clayton, Manchester, England. During planning and construction phases, the stop was known as New East and as Sportcity-Velodrome.
Edge Lane is a tram stop on the East Manchester Line (EML) of Greater Manchester's light-rail Metrolink system. It opened on 11 February 2013, after a three-day free trial for local residents. The station was constructed as part of Phase 3a of the Metrolink's expansion, and is located at the junction of Manchester Road and Edge Lane, in Droylsden, Tameside, England.
Droylsden is a tram stop on the East Manchester Line (EML) of Greater Manchester's light-rail Metrolink system. It opened on 11 February 2013, after a three-day free trial for local residents. The stop was constructed as part of Phase 3a of the Metrolink's expansion, and is located in Droylsden town centre, a part of Tameside, England.
Cemetery Road is a tram stop on the East Manchester Line (EML) of Greater Manchester's light-rail Metrolink system. It opened on 11 February 2013, after a three-day free trial for local residents. The station was constructed as part of Phase 3a of the Metrolink's expansion, and is located in Droylsden at the junction of Manchester Road and Cemetery Road, a part of Tameside, England.
Stockport bus station in Stockport, Greater Manchester was a bus terminus for approximately sixty-five bus services. It opened on 2 March 1981 on the site of a former car park. Before the bus station opened, most services terminated at Mersey Square.
Ashton-under-Lyne bus station is a bus station that is located in the town of Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, run by Transport for Greater Manchester. The bus station is situated on Wellington Road and adjoins the Arcades Shopping Centre. The bus station was opened in 2020 and replaced the previous bus station that was built on the current site.
The Tameside Reporter is a locally based weekly newspaper which primarily serves the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside. It is one of very few remaining independently owned newspapers in the country and has existed since 1855. The group previously distributed a free weekly newspaper, called the Ashton Reporter in recognition of the group's origins, and continues to publish the Glossop Chronicle.
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive was the public body responsible for public transport in Greater Manchester between 1974 and 2011, when it became part of Transport for Greater Manchester.
The history of trams in Ashton-under-Lyne date back to 1878, through the Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company. These trams were horse-drawn trams and began operation in 1881, between Stalybridge & Ashton-under-Lyne. The route began at Stalybridge's town hall, stopping at Ashton-Under-Lyne and terminating at the Snipe Inn at Ashton-Under-Lyne/Audenshaw boundary line. The Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley & Dukinfield Tramways & Electricity Board provided tram operations in the wider Tameside region.