free bus – free travel around Manchester city centre

The city centre free bus service now runs even later into the evening.

Route 2 and the new Route 3 service now operates until midnight Monday to Saturday.

That means you can now do more of the things you like for longer, safe in the knowledge the free bus will be there to pick you up or drop you off – whether that’s at one of your favourite destinations or a major transport interchange.

Route 1 has also be extended to serve Salford Central Station in the AM/PM peak and, on Saturday, the Museum of Science and Industry and Castlefield. Route 2 provides a morning link between Victoria and Spinningfields.

The revamped service is maintaining its frequent ten-minute service (12 minutes on Sunday) and continues to be operated by Go North West.

Route 1 (Monday – Friday off-peak, Sunday)

Piccadilly Rail Station, Piccadilly Gardens, Charlotte Street, King Street (Cross Street), Market Street, Deansgate (Barton Arcade), Bridge Street, Gartside Street, Quay Street, Deansgate (John Rylands Library), John Dalton Street, King Street (Brown Street), York Street, New York Street, Central Coach Station, Chorlton Street, to Piccadilly Rail Station via Station Approach.

Route 1 (Monday – Friday AM/PM peak)

Piccadilly Rail Station, Piccadilly Gardens, Charlotte Street, King Street (Cross Street), Market Street, Deansgate (Barton Arcade), Bridge Street, Gartside Street, New Quay Street, Chapel Street, Salford Central Station, Gartside Street, Quay Street, Deansgate (John Rylands Library), John Dalton Street, King Street (Brown Street), York Street, New York Street, Central Coach Station, Chorlton Street, to Piccadilly Rail Station via Station Approach.

Route 1 (Saturday only)

Piccadilly Rail Station, Piccadilly Gardens, Charlotte Street, King Street (Cross Street), Market Street, Deansgate (Barton Arcade), Bridge Street, Gartside Street, Science and Industry Museum, Deansgate (Great Northern), Deansgate (John Rylands Library), John Dalton Street, King Street (Brown Street), York Street, New York Street, Central Coach Station, Chorlton Street, to Piccadilly Rail Station via Station Approach.

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Route 2

Piccadilly Rail Station, Stevenson Square, Church Street, Shudehill, Corporation Street, Victoria Rail Station, Deansgate (St. Mary’s Gate), Deansgate (Barton Arcade), Deansgate (John Rylands Library), Peter Street, Whitworth Street (Palace Theatre), Whitworth Street (Sackville Gardens), to Piccadilly Rail Station via Station Approach.

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Route 3

Piccadilly Rail Station, Piccadilly Gardens, Portland Street, Princess Street, Whitworth Street (Palace Theatre), Oxford Road Rail Station, Whitworth Street West, Deansgate Rail Station, Deansgate (Great Northern), Deansgate (John Rylands Library), Deansgate (King Street West), Deansgate (Barton Arcade), Deansgate (St. Mary’s Gate), Victoria Rail Station, Corporation Street, Shudehill, High Street, Church Street, Dale Street, to Piccadilly Rail Station via Station Approach.

The existing Bolton Metroshuttle service will not be affected by the changes.

Free Wi-Fi on Manchester City Centre free bus

How do I connect?

Once you have boarded the free bus follow the instructions on your mobile device to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Please note that this process can differ depending upon the device manufacturer and operating system so please make sure you are familiar with how to do this before connecting.

Look for the hotspot called “FreeBusWiFi”. Complete the registration page, which only needs to be done on your first visit, and agree to the Terms and Conditions by ticking the box then click Connect, and that’s it!

How does Free Wi-Fi work?

A mobile data signal (4G/3G) is received by an onboard router. The router then broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal within the bus which passengers can connect to and access the internet. The service is provided free of charge to all free bus bus passengers in Manchester City Centre (Routes 1 & 2).

Use of free bus free Wi-Fi is subject to Terms and Conditions.

What else should I be aware of?

The free Wi-Fi works much in the same way as a mobile phone and at times and in certain circumstances, can be subject to the same difficulties that a mobile phone may encounter. Variables such as tall buildings or structures, geographic features like hills or valleys, weather conditions, temperatures, electrical or radio interference and the number of mobile devices connected to a cell tower or the router itself can result in differing user experiences or levels of service.

Is there are a time limit for customers?

TfGM have decided that no time limits for customer usage will be imposed and we aim to offer a broadly consistent user experience no matter how many devices are connected to the free Wi-Fi. In order to do this we make sure every device will connect at up to the same maximum download and upload speeds, and are subject to a set data quota. Don’t worry though, if the data limit is reached you’ll still be able to use the free Wi-Fi, just not as fast as before.