The benefits

For passengers and residents

The busway will improve the frequency and reliability of bus journeys at all points along the route, and will ultimately reduce journey times from Leigh to central Manchester to less than 45 minutes.

Passengers will be able to travel on a single bus, using a single ticket, at all points along the route between Leigh, Atherton, Tyldesley, Worsley, Swinton, and Manchester city centre, the University of Manchester campus and the Central Manchester Hospitals site.

Passengers joining the busway along the A580 will have a bus every 7-8 minutes during the day, so they can turn up and catch one of the frequent services rather than having to coordinate their journey with less frequent service.

The journey times will be significantly reduced at all points along the route, and the frequency of services will be increased. Some examples are below:

(Please note: the above information is based on timetable information during the morning weekday peak time.)

Strategic benefits

The busway will improve access to employment, education and healthcare and will encourage investment along the route. It will support the economy of Greater Manchester by improving accessibility to the public transport network, reducing public transport journey times and supporting the development of Leigh as a commercial and business centre.

The busway will link into the Cross City bus scheme - a package of investment in strategic bus routes which will improve the bus network of Greater Manchester. The Cross City bus scheme includes a route from Middleton bus station to Manchester along the A664, changes to the priority given to buses in Manchester city centre, and along the Oxford Road corridor from the city centre to East Didsbury. Work on these routes will start in 2013 and will be complete by 2015.