Transport for Greater Manchester

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Transport for Greater Manchester
AbbreviationTfGM
Predecessor Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive
Formation1 April 2011;13 years ago (2011-04-01)
TypePublic body
Purpose Transport authority
Headquarters2 Piccadilly Place
Manchester
M1 3BG
Region served
Greater Manchester
parts of Derbyshire, Cheshire and Lancashire
Commissioner
Vernon Everitt
Managing Director
Steve Warrener
Parent organisation
 Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)
Budget£280 million (2015–16, excluding capital expenditure)
Website www.tfgm.com

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is a local government body responsible for co-ordinating transport services throughout Greater Manchester in North West England. It is an executive arm of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the city region's administrative authority. The strategies and policies of Transport for Greater Manchester are set by the GMCA and its Greater Manchester Transport Committee (GMTC). The committee is made up of 33 councillors appointed from the ten Greater Manchester boroughs (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan), as well as the Mayor of Greater Manchester. [1]

Contents

TfGM owns Metrolink – the United Kingdom’s largest light rail network – which is operated and maintained under contract by a Keolis/Amey consortium. [2] [3] TfGM also owns Greater Manchester's Cycle Hire scheme, and is responsible for cycling and walking infrastructure. TfGM owns and maintains bus stations, stops & shelters, however bus services are deregulated in Great Britain outside London. Following the passing of the Bus Services Act 2017, Greater Manchester became the first city-region to start the process of bus franchising, returning bus services to public control. [4] [5] TfGM does not control National Rail services or infrastructure in Greater Manchester.

TfGM is responsible for developing the Bee Network, an integrated transport network for Greater Manchester. The Bee Network is proposed to include a single transport livery, integrated fares & ticketing, and a fare cap across tram, bus, cycling, walking, and eventually suburban rail. By 2025, Metrolink trams, franchised buses services, and cycle hire are planned to be integrated. [6] Negotiations with central government are ongoing for some commuter rail services to join the network, starting from 2025. [6]

History

The organisation traces its origins to the Transport Act 1968, when the SELNEC (South East Lancashire/North East Cheshire) Passenger Transport Executive was established to co-ordinate public transport in and around Manchester. Between 1974 and 2011, it was known as the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE), until a reform of local government in Greater Manchester granted it more powers and prompted a corporate rebranding. [7] On 1 April 2011, the GMPTE became Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), [8] a new regional transport body for Greater Manchester [9] [10] [11] that forms part of the new Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

Governance

TfGM inherited the responsibilities of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive established in 1974. At the same time the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) was abolished, with responsibility for oversight of the executive transferred to the combined authority. [12]

The combined authority and the ten Greater Manchester districts have delegated or referred most of their transport governance functions to a joint committee, the Bee Network Committee. Each local authority appoints one of its executive members with responsibility for transport matters to sit alongside the mayor, a member of the GMCA, and up to four other councillors appointed by the mayor. These additional mayoral appointees allow the committee's political make-up to reflect the political make-up of Greater Manchester's councils as a whole.

The Bee Network Committee has four key responsibilities: Decision-making over significant operational matters across the transport network (including the ability to draw down funding for investment), monitoring the performance and financial stability of the network, developing policy to support the local transport plan, and facilitating coordination between the ten local authorities around highways maintenance and infrastructure delivery. [13]

Services

Rail and tram services in Greater Manchester Greater Manchester Railways map.svg
Rail and tram services in Greater Manchester

The Manchester Metrolink light rail/tram system launched in 1992, entirely subsidised by TfGM without a government grant and operated by KeolisAmey. [14] It carried 43.7 million passengers in the 2018/19 financial year. [15] With 99 tram stops, it is the second largest local transport network in the United Kingdom after the London Underground. Further expansion of the network to places like Stockport and Bolton are envisaged.

Rail services

Rail services are operated by Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Northern, TransPennine Express and Transport for Wales. [16] TfGM subsidise fares on certain local services and fund station refurbishments on an ad hoc basis.

Buses

Highways and cycling

Fares, ticketing and information

Bee Network

Bee Network buses operated by Stagecoach Manchester at Oldham bus station in April 2024 Bee Network Oldham Bus Station.png
Bee Network buses operated by Stagecoach Manchester at Oldham bus station in April 2024

The Bee Network is a proposed integrated transport network for Greater Manchester, composed of bus, tram, cycling, and walking routes. TfGM's vision is for the network to be operational by 2024, with commuter rail services joining the network by 2030. [19]

Originally devised in 2018 as a network of active travel routes, [20] the vision for the Bee Network was expanded following the Greater Manchester Combined Authority's decision to use the powers given to it under the Bus Services Act 2017 to introduce a bus franchising scheme for the city region. [21] A fleet of buses were branded and repainted yellow for this in 2024. [22] The active travel subset of the Bee Network was then renamed the Bee Active Network. [23]

Greater Manchester is set to invest a further £40.7m in its walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure as it progresses with its delivery of the largest active travel network in the country. The £23.7m has been allocated to 13 schemes in total, including a new active travel corridor along Chapel Street in Salford and a striking cycling and walking ‘helix ramp’ as part of the new Stockport Interchange. [24]

Corporate identity

A TfGM bus stop in 2011 following rebranding Transport for Greater Manchester bus flag.jpg
A TfGM bus stop in 2011 following rebranding

TfGM uses a corporate identity designed in-house. The black and white "M" logo is adapted from the GMPTE logo and is used on bus stops across Greater Manchester.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Metrolink</span> Tram system in Greater Manchester, England

Manchester Metrolink is a tram/light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. The network has 99 stops along 64 miles (103 km) of standard-gauge route, making it the most extensive light rail system in the United Kingdom. Over the 2023/24 financial year 42 million passenger journeys were made on the system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Airport station</span> Airport station in Manchester, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free buses in Greater Manchester</span> Public transport system in Greater Manchester, England

Free bus is a zero-fare 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bury Interchange</span> Transport hub in Bury, Greater Manchester, England

Bury Interchange is a transport hub in the town of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Opened in 1980, it is the northern terminus of the Manchester Metrolink's Bury Line, which prior to 1992 was a heavy-rail line. It also incorporates a bus station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Square tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

St Peter's Square is a tram stop in St Peter's Square in Manchester city centre, England. It opened on 27 April 1992 and is in Zone 1 of Greater Manchester's Metrolink light rail system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stagecoach Manchester</span> Bus operator in Greater Manchester, England

Stagecoach Manchester is a major bus operator in Greater Manchester, operating franchised Bee Network bus services on contract to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). It is the largest UK bus subsidiary of Stagecoach Group outside of Greater London, as well as the largest within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester by passenger numbers, carrying up to 96.2 million passengers in 2019/20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Deansgate-Castlefield is a tram stop on Greater Manchester's Metrolink light rail system, on Deansgate in the Castlefield area of Manchester city centre. It opened on 27 April 1992 as G-Mex tram stop, taking its name from the adjacent G-Mex Centre, a concert, conference and exhibition venue; the G-Mex Centre was rebranded as Manchester Central in 2007, prompting the Metrolink stop to be renamed on 20 September 2010. The station underwent redevelopment in 2014–15 to add an extra platform in preparation for the completion of the Second City Crossing in 2016–17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Manchester</span> Overview of the transport infrastructure of Greater Manchester

The transport infrastructure of Greater Manchester is built up of numerous transport modes and forms an integral part of the structure of Greater Manchester and North West England – the most populated region outside of South East England which had approximately 301 million annual passenger journeys using either buses, planes, trains or trams in 2014. Its position as a national city of commerce, education and cultural importance means the city has one of the largest and most thorough transport infrastructures which is heavily relied upon by its 2.8 million inhabitants in the Greater Manchester conurbation and further afield in the North West region. Public transport comes under the jurisdiction of Transport for Greater Manchester.

get me there

get me there is an electronic ticketing scheme under development by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) for use on public transport services in Greater Manchester, England. It was first announced and confirmed as an integrated travel card, comparable to London's Oyster card, for Greater Manchester in June 2012, following a bid from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MediaCityUK tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

MediaCityUK tram stop is a stop on the Manchester Metrolink light rail system. It is located in MediaCityUK, in Salford. The stop serves MediaCityUK, The Lowry, the Imperial War Museum North and other parts of Salford Quays. It is at the end of a short spur from the Eccles Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Manchester Metrolink</span>

The history of Manchester Metrolink begins with its conception as Greater Manchester's light rail system in 1982 by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, and spans its inauguration in 1992 and the successive phases of expansion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Manchester Combined Authority</span> Local government body in North West England

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is a combined authority for Greater Manchester, England. It was established on 1 April 2011 and consists of 11 members: 10 indirectly elected members, each a directly elected councillor from one of the ten metropolitan boroughs that comprise Greater Manchester, together with the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester. The authority derives most of its powers from the Local Government Act 2000 and Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, and replaced a range of single-purpose joint boards and quangos to provide a formal administrative authority for Greater Manchester for the first time since the abolition of Greater Manchester County Council in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of public transport authorities in Manchester</span>

The history of public transport authorities in Manchester details the various organisations that have been responsible for the public transport network in and around Manchester, England, since 1824.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Trafford Centre tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

The Trafford Centre is a tram stop on the Manchester Metrolink's Trafford Park Line, and the line's current terminus. It is located adjacent to Barton Dock Road between Ellesmere Circle and Bright Circle, and serves the like-named shopping centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exchange Square tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Exchange Square is a tram stop on the Manchester Metrolink's Second City Crossing line, and opened on 6 December 2015 as part of Phase 2CC of the network's expansion. It is located by the main entrance to the Manchester Arndale shopping centre, and is also close to the Printworks.

This timeline lists significant events in the history of Greater Manchester's light rail network called the Manchester Metrolink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayor of Greater Manchester</span> Political official in Greater Manchester

The Mayor of Greater Manchester is the directly elected mayor of Greater Manchester, responsible for strategic governance in the region that includes health, transport, housing, strategic planning, waste management, policing, the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and skills. The creation of the Mayor of Greater Manchester was agreed between the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, and Greater Manchester's 10 district council leaders. As well as having specific powers, the mayor chairs the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, also assuming the powers of the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eccles Line</span> Manchester Metrolink line

The Eccles Line is a tram line of the Manchester Metrolink in Greater Manchester running from Manchester to Eccles via Salford Quays, with a short spur to MediaCityUK. It was opened in phases during 1999–2000 as part of the second phase of the system's development. The spur to MediaCityUK was opened in 2010. The line contains a mixture of reserved track beds and a street running section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zone 1 (Manchester Metrolink)</span>

Zone 1 of the Manchester Metrolink light rail network is the heart of the system where all of the other lines converge. Its boundaries approximately mirror the city's Inner Ring Road. Within Zone 1, first opened in 1992 as the City Zone, trams largely run along semi-pedestrianised streets rather than on their own separate alignment.

The Bee Network is an integrated transport network for Greater Manchester, comprising bus, tram, cycling and walking routes. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is expected to have the network operational by 2025, with commuter rail services expected to be joining the network in 2028. Initially unveiled in 2018, the project is aiming to create a London-style transport system, to encourage more people to take public transport instead of cars.

References

  1. ↑ "New Greater Manchester Transport Committee meets for the first time". tfgm.com. Transport for Greater Manchester. 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "Salford Infrastructure Delivery Plan" (PDF). Salford City Council. February 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  3. ↑ "RATP buys Manchester Metrolink operator". Railway Gazette International . London. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  4. ↑ Burnham, Andy (13 December 2017). Mayor sets out major transport overhaul (Speech). Urban Transport Group. Leeds . Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  5. ↑ "Greater Manchester appoints first bus operators for new system". BBC News. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Details of the first buses under public control in Greater Manchester revealed". Manchester Evening News. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  7. ↑ All change: Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive becomes Transport for Greater Manchester – with a new logo of course Archived 4 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine Manchester Evening News 1 April 2011
  8. ↑ "Arrangements for Establishing the Combined Authority" (PDF). Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA). p. 4. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  9. ↑ "Draft LTP3 Consultation Proposals". Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA). p. 9. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  10. ↑ "City Region Pilot and Governance" (PDF). Manchester City Council. p. 14. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  11. ↑ "Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership – A Proposal To Government" (PDF). Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA). p. 18. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  12. ↑ "The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011: Article 6", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 22 March 2011, SI 2011/908 (art. 6), retrieved 8 August 2023
  13. ↑ "Bee Network Committee – Terms of Reference". Greater Manchester Combined Authority. 31 July 2023. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  14. ↑ RATP buys Manchester Metrolink operator Railway Gazette International 2 August 2011
  15. ↑ Light Rail and Tram Statistics: England 2018/19 Department for Transport (Retrieved 26 July 2020)
  16. ↑ Operators Transport for Greater Manchester
  17. ↑ Metroshuttle Archived 2 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine Transport for Greater Manchester
  18. ↑ Bus Operators Transport for Greater Manchester
  19. ↑ "Destination: Bee Network". Transport for Greater Manchester. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  20. ↑ "Bee Network - Greater Manchester's cycling and walking infrastructure proposal" (PDF). Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  21. ↑ Fifield, Jack (14 February 2022). "WATCH: What is the Bee Network?" . Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  22. ↑ "Greater Manchester: Bee Network bus rebrand cost more than £500k". BBC . Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  23. ↑ "MCF Financial Approvals and Active Travel Funding Additions" (PDF). 27 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022. The fund is being used to deliver the first phase of the Bee Active Network, which is the walking and cycling element of the wider Bee Network
  24. ↑ "Greater Manchester to invest a further £40.7m in walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure".
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