Bee Network school bus services

September 2023: The first schools in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Manchester, Salford and Bury joined the Bee Network.

25 March 2024: School services joined the Bee Network in Oldham, Rochdale and parts of Bury, Salford and North Manchester.

5 January 2025: The remaining school bus services on routes in Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and the remaining parts of Manchester and Salford join the Bee Network.

School services in Oldham, Rochdale and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester joined the Bee Network on Monday 25 March 2024.

See a full list of school services that joined the Bee Network on 25 March.

Most school services across Greater Manchester will be very similar.

Your child will be able to continue using their school bus services as normal.

• Your school service may have a different number to make sure it doesn’t have the same number as another Greater Manchester bus services.
• Timetables may be slightly different to meet new school start and finish times.
• Your bus service may have a new operator.
• Depending on which service your child uses, it may be a Yellow School Bus, an operator branded vehicle, or a yellow Bee Network bus. All buses will have the Bee Network logo.

You can find timetables and plan your child's journey on our 'Travelling to school' webpage.

Your child’s school service may have a different number than normal. This is to make sure it doesn’t have the same number as another Greater Manchester bus service.

Students should check they are boarding the bus with the right service number.

• 125 is now 803: Mottram – Blue Coat School
• 126 is now 816: Haughton Green – Blue Coat School
• 127 is now 849: Gee Cross – Blue Coat School
• 480 (School day only journey) is now 908: Canon Slade High School – Walshaw (PM Journey only)
• 558 is now 822: Diggle – Blue Coat School (AM journey only)
• 721 is now 715: Strangeways – Co-op Academy North Manchester
• 795 is now 809: Middleton – Crompton House School
• 805 is now 832: Norden – Blue Coat School
• 884 is now 892: Caldermoor – Kingsway Park School
• 885 is now 800: Smallbridge – Falinge Park School
• 893 is now 900: Ringley – St Monica's RCHS
• 894 is now 848: Littleborough – St Cuthbert's High School

Some services will use the current fleet of Yellow School Buses, some will use the operators’ own vehicles, and some will use Bee Network branded buses.

All buses will have the Bee Network logo.

If a student has lost something when travelling on a Bee Network school bus then please get in touch with the Bee Network Customer Contact Centre:

• Online - using our contact form
• Telephone – 0161 244 1000
• In person – at an Information and Ticket Office

A responsible guardian/adult will need to make the enquiry on behalf of under 13-year-olds.

Read more about lost property on Bee Network bus services.

There’s a range of value for money tickets and travelcards for young people and children.

Find out more about fares and tickets for use on school bus services.

Your child will need an igo card, which lets 11–16 year–olds travel using child tickets on buses and trams in Greater Manchester.

Bus drivers will ask to see igo cards.

Find out more about the igo card.

There are no school bus services in areas that joined the Bee Network on 25 March (Oldham, Rochdale, and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester) which cross the Greater Manchester boundary.

However, some students will need to travel on general bus services open to other members of the public which do cross the boundary. Like now, the discounted TfGM school weekly ticket and carnet tickets will not be valid on any general bus services (cross boundary or not).

Students can buy the following tickets to travel on general Bee Network bus services that travel outside of Greater Manchester:

• £1 single fare
• 1-day Bee Bus: £2.50 for children
• 7-day Bee Bus: £10.50 for children

If a student needs to start or continue their journey outside of Greater Manchester on a non-Bee Network bus, they will need to buy another ticket from that bus operator.

See a list of Bee Network general bus services.