Manchester Airport to Stockport Station Express Bus?

[Manutd1999]

Perhaps I am missing something here, but surely an express bus service between Stockport station and Manchester Airport is a no-brainer? Why has this not been implemented by now?

Lots of places south and east of Manchester (Stoke, Sheffield, Buxton etc) have relatively good rail connections to Stockport station, but no direct connection to the Airport. Changing at Picadilly is inefficient and adds to overcrowding issues. Furthermore, "losing" the Airport service is a key complaint whenever it is proposed to move rail services such as the North Wales - Manchester services away from the congested Castlefield corridor.

A regular (eg, every 15 or 30 mins), express bus would seemingly solve a lot of these issues?

 

[daodao]

Perhaps I am missing something here, but surely an express bus service between Stockport station and Manchester Airport is a no-brainer? Why has this not been implemented by now?

Lots of places south and east of Manchester (Stoke, Sheffield, Buxton etc) have relatively good rail connections to Stockport station, but no direct connection to the Airport. Changing at Piccadilly is inefficient and adds to overcrowding issues. Furthermore, "losing" the Airport service is a key complaint whenever it is proposed to move rail services such as the North Wales - Manchester services away from the congested Castlefield corridor.

A regular (eg, every 15 or 30 mins), express bus would seemingly solve a lot of these issues?

There is already an express bus service (High Peak route 199) between Manchester Airport and Stockport (Grand Central stop - close to Edgeley station) that runs every 30 minutes Mon-Sat and hourly on Sundays.

 

[yorkie]

There is already an express bus service (High Peak route 199) between Manchester Airport and Stockport (Grand Central stop - close to Edgeley station) that runs every 30 minutes Mon-Sat and hourly on Sundays.

Indeed there is; I've used it. When I read the original post I wondered if it had been withdrawn, but it is showing in journey planners.

So I don't understand the premise of the opening post; there appears to be some confusion as the suggested service is running, albeit not as frequently as the original poster would like.

 

[jonesy3001]

There used to be the 400, trans lancs express that used to go to the airport in the summer from Bolton, Bury, Rochdale,Oldham, Ashton and Stockport but was stopped years ago due to the airport railway line opening.

 

[tomuk]

Indeed there is; I've used it. When I read the original post I wondered if it had been withdrawn, but it is showing in journey planners.

So I don't understand the premise of the opening post; there appears to be some confusion as the suggested service is running, albeit not as frequently as the original poster would like.

The OP wasn't aware of it and neither was I. I looked at making that journey in the past and didn't find that service maybe because its a non GM service or it doesn't actually stop at the station. Not a multimodal utopia.

 

[Statto]

As said High Peak 199 operates non stop every 30 minutes Manchester Airport to Stockport, before continuing to Buxton.

The reason why there's not more express buses between Stockport & Manchester Airport, is because there's no demand for them, Stagecoach operated an X30 from Ashton, to Stockport, then non stop from Stockport via the M60 to the Airport, but that often carried fresh air on the Stockport to Airport section, so now that's been replaced by a normal stopper in 313

 

[Harpers Tate]

...it doesn't actually stop at the station. Not a multimodal utopia.

No, but actually it's not that far between the relevant bus stop and the station.

 

[Manutd1999]

There is already an express bus service (High Peak route 199) between Manchester Airport and Stockport (Grand Central stop - close to Edgeley station) that runs every 30 minutes Mon-Sat and hourly on Sundays.

Indeed, I wasn't aware of this. So instead of a new service, perhaps just a re-branding of an existing service?

I was imagining a more integrated solution, specifically marketed for rail connections so that Stockport station could act as "Manchester Airport Parkway". Similar scheme exists at Leeds-Bradford where you can buy tickets via National Rail websites etc.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I was imagining a more integrated solution, specifically marketed for rail connections so that Stockport station could act as "Manchester Airport Parkway". Similar scheme exists at Leeds-Bradford where you can buy tickets via National Rail websites etc.

You'd change at Piccadilly. People prefer trains over buses.

The bus concerned is for locals, primarily.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

There used to be the 400, trans lancs express that used to go to the airport in the summer from Bolton, Bury, Rochdale,Oldham, Ashton and Stockport but was stopped years ago due to the airport railway line opening.

This is incorrect. The railway line to Manchester Airport opened in 1993. Extensions of the service 400 beyond Stockport to the airport continued until 1999. The eventual complete demise of the 400 was more to do with the way concessionary bus fares are administered than any developments on the rail network.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This is incorrect. The railway line to Manchester Airport opened in 1993. Extensions of the service 400 beyond Stockport to the airport continued until 1999. The eventual complete demise of the 400 was more to do with the way concessionary bus fares are administered than any developments on the rail network.

I used to like going and randomly riding the 400 over its full length when I was a student and had a stronger bladder and less painful back, it covered some nice scenic and interesting bits of the city. I don't recall it ever being particularly busy, and it was decidedly unpunctual, too, as traffic congestion in a whole range of places hit it. It (like Brum's 11A/11C) was a nice idea for simplicity, but splitting it up worked better.

 

[Statto]

This is incorrect. The railway line to Manchester Airport opened in 1993. Extensions of the service 400 beyond Stockport to the airport continued until 1999. The eventual complete demise of the 400 was more to do with the way concessionary bus fares are administered than any developments on the rail network.

Yeah, the old 400 Bolton - Stockport was an express orbital route, more about linking the Towns in GM surrounding Manchester, without going through Central Manchester, just happened to have an extension to Manchester Airport, the 400 was a great route too.

More recently, Stagecoach extended a couple of 330s ( which is Ashton - Stockport via Hyde) an hour from Stockport to Manchester Airport, then to Cargo Centre as X30 operating non stop via the M60 but carried fresh air that it's been withdrawn, partly replaced by the 313 which stops everywhere.

Like i said, it's about demand, an operator wont operate a bus service if there's no demand for it, & i don't think there is the demand for more buses Stockport - Manchester Airport, 199 is a though route from Buxton, most passengers would be going beyond Stockport to other points on the route.

 

[AndrewE]

Strangely the Traveline website - which I have always found to be completely reliable - doesn't pick up the 199 at all. For Manchester airport to Stoke on Trent it does offer options starting with buses with changes onto trains at Bramhall (2 buses first) and Cheadle Hulme. On top of train only via Picadilly, of course.

 

[daodao]

Strangely the Traveline website - which I have always found to be completely reliable - doesn't pick up the 199 at all. For Manchester airport to Stoke on Trent it does offer options starting with buses with changes onto trains at Bramhall (2 buses first) and Cheadle Hulme. On top of train only via Piccadilly, of course.

It will depend on the time of the journey and which route is the quickest. I randomly looked up the same journey on Traveline and my first selection found a connection using High Peak bus route 199 at 20:29 today - see screen shot below:

 

[AndrewE]

That's good (& reassuring) to see, thanks. I looked for 1700 tomorrow!
A

 

[Teflon988]

I've just found this information about public transport/from Manchester Airport if this helps.

Getting to Manchester Airport by bus | Manchester Airport

How to get to Manchester Airport by bus and coach from the Manchester area and beyond.

www.manchesterairport.co.uk

 

[Deerfold]

I've just found this information about public transport/from Manchester Airport if this helps.

Getting to Manchester Airport by bus | Manchester Airport

How to get to Manchester Airport by bus and coach from the Manchester area and beyond.

www.manchesterairport.co.uk

I'd add a warning that many of those timetables are years out of date.

 

[Teflon988]

I'd add a warning that many of those timetables are years out of date.

How strange,but thank you Deerfold for the information.

 

[Deerfold]

How strange,but thank you Deerfold for the information.

It's particularly odd as some, but not all, have been updated in the last year.

 

[Manutd1999]

You'd change at Piccadilly. People prefer trains over buses.

The bus concerned is for locals, primarily.

I think people go via Piccadilly because that's the option given to them if they book via the train company websites. If a connection to a shuttle bus at Stockport was integrated to the same level I don't think people would mind. The journey time would be significantly faster for a start.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

... i don't think there is the demand for more buses Stockport - Manchester Airport, 199 is a though route from Buxton, most passengers would be going beyond Stockport to other points on the route.

Not much beyond Stockport on the 199, other than the Airport, is there?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think people go via Piccadilly because that's the option given to them if they book via the train company websites. If a connection to a shuttle bus at Stockport was integrated to the same level I don't think people would mind. The journey time would be significantly faster for a start.

Generally people will chooss train over bus. Particularly for something time critical.

 

[Deerfold]

Not much beyond Stockport on the 199, other than the Airport, is there?

I think they mean in the other direction.

Like i said, it's about demand, an operator wont operate a bus service if there's no demand for it, & i don't think there is the demand for more buses Stockport - Manchester Airport, 199 is a though route from Buxton, most passengers would be going beyond Stockport to other points on the route.

Maybe, but in the evening half the journeys only run between the Airport and Stockport, so presumably they're fairly busy.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Maybe, but in the evening half the journeys only run between the Airport and Stockport, so presumably they're fairly busy.

I expect there are a reasonable number of people who work at the Airport (or the hotels and business parks surrounding it) and live in Stockport. There's plenty of cheap Victorian terraced housing there, and many airport jobs are low paid.

 

[edwin_m]

Even from somewhere with no through train, if I was heading for a flight I'd rather change onto another train at Piccadilly than onto a bus at Stockport, even if the advertised journey time was longer. Finding a bus stop can be tricky, and I wouldn't know if there was space on the bus for luggage. Most importantly I'd be worried about relying on a bus that could be delayed by traffic and there might not even be real-time information available on how it was running.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The 198/199 was branded as Skyline as shown by Zippy and Ray Parnaby (both from Flickr)




However, the original vesrion of the branding was common with other routes that I think received some form of support from the Airport c.1999 with the Arriva version courtesy of Ian Simpson....


and Stagecoach from Tony Wilson


Seem to recall that Manchester Airport Group (MAG) may have supported these as part of the mitigation plan in building a second runway but I can't fully recall despite living nearby at the time

 

[Geeves]

Its still branded as Skyline today, but its not uncommon to see other liveried buses on the 199 based out of the Dove Holes depot

 

[Bletchleyite]

Its still branded as Skyline today, but its not uncommon to see other liveried buses on the 199 based out of the Dove Holes depot

Certainly true that once a manager who is focussed on image moves away (Mr Hornby, now at Transdev Yorkshire), standards tend to slip...

 

[northwichcat]

The OP wasn't aware of it and neither was I. I looked at making that journey in the past and didn't find that service maybe because its a non GM service or it doesn't actually stop at the station. Not a multimodal utopia.

It's listed on the TfGM website: https://tfgm.com/public-transport/bus/routes/199-buxton and PlusBus tickets are accepted on it.

Did you perhaps search for a service on an operator's website that only lists their own services?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Suspect the OP just searched for Stockport station. It doesn't serve the station directly, it stops on the A6 (which is a very short walk away).

I don't however see why you'd not just go into Picc and change there for the Airport. If you're going for a flight you don't want the risk of traffic jams involved.