Public transport timetables over Christmas and New Year

Details of festive timetables for local bus companies, the Metrolink and railway services in the Rochdale borough.

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Buses

Buses in the Rochdale borough are currently covered by Rosso, Go North West, First and the Bee Network.

The Bee Network, Go North West and Rosso have all released details of Christmas timetables.

Please check with your operator for specific routes: https://tfgm.com/travel-updates

Bee Network

• Monday 18 to Friday 22 December 2023 – Buses will run as normal except some Stagecoach routes will run to a modified weekday timetable on 22 December.
• Saturday 23 December 2023 – Normal Saturday service.
• Sunday 24 December 2023 – Normal Sunday service, with buses to stop running from 6pm onwards.
• Monday 25 December 2023 – Stagecoach will run special daytime buses on service 43 (Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester Airport). No other buses will run.
• Tuesday 26 December 2023 – Bee Network buses will run on some services, including these local ones:
  • 163 (Bury to Piccadilly Gardens via Heywood, Langley and Middleton)
  • 471 (Rochdale to Bolton via Heywood)
    No other buses will run.
     
• Wednesday 27 December 2023 – Normal or modified weekday service, or Saturday service with some earlier morning journeys on some routes.
• Thursday 28 December 2023 – Normal or modified weekday service, or Saturday service with some earlier morning journeys on some routes.
• Friday 29 December 2023 – Normal or modified weekday service, or Saturday service with some earlier morning journeys on some routes.
• Saturday 30 December 2023 – Normal Saturday service.
• Sunday 31 December 2023 – Sunday service, but most buses will stop running from 6pm onwards.
• Monday 1 January 2024 – Bee Network buses will run on some services, including these local ones:
  • 163 (Bury to Piccadilly Gardens via Heywood, Langley and Middleton)
  • 471 (Rochdale to Bolton via Heywood).
    No other buses will run.
     
• Tuesday 2 January 2024 – Normal service resumes.

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Go North West

• Up to Saturday 23 December 2023 - Normal services
• Sunday 24 December 2023 - Sunday service level, but with buses finishing early from around 6.30pm.
• Monday 25 December 2023 - No services will operate.
• Tuesday 26 December 2023 - Only Manchester Free Bus will operate, no other services will run.
• Wednesday 27 December, Thursday 28 December and Friday 29 December 2023 - A normal weekday service will operate.
• Saturday 30 December 2023 - Normal Saturday service will operate.
• Sunday 31 December 2023 - Sunday service level, but with buses finishing early from around 18:30
• Monday 1 January 2024 - Only Manchester Free Bus will operate, no other services will run.
• From Tuesday 2 January 2024 - Services will return to normal timetables.

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Rosso

• Saturday 23 December 2023 – normal Saturday times
   
• Sunday 24 December 2023 – normal Sunday times with last buses around 7pm.
  Last journeys will be:
  • Lakeline 457, 6.49pm from Rochdale, 7.13pm from Stansfield;
  • Lakeline 458, 6.00pm from Rochdale, 6.27pm from Littleborough;
  • the 464, 7.13pm from Rochdale, 6.35pm from Accrington: the 7.10pm from Accrington finishes at Rawtenstall;
  • Trax 467, 6.15pm from Bury, 6.08pm from Rochdale;
  • Trax 468, 6.45pm from Bury, 5.40pm from Rochdale: the 6.40pm from Rochdale will finish at Bamford.
  • Bury Bolts B3, 6.25pm from Bury, 6.54pm from Heywood.
• Rochdale Runners routes:
  • R1, 6.40pm from Rochdale, 6.51pm from Syke;
  • R3, 6.57pm from Rochdale, 7.10pm from Healey Corner;
  • R4, 7.02pm from Upperstone Drive;
  • R6, 6.34pm from Rochdale;
  • R7, 6.05pm from Rochdale, 7.04pm from Middleton;
  • R8, 6.11pm from Rochdale, 6.29pm from Norden;
  • R9, 6.07pm from Rochdale;
  • R10, 6.30pm from Shaw;
• Rosso journeys on the 6 to Kirkholt will not run
   
• Monday 25 December 2023 – no buses will run
• Tuesday 26 December 2023 – no Rosso buses will run
• Wednesday 27 December to Friday 29 December 2023 – buses will run to a normal Monday to Friday timetable on Bury Bolts, Rochdale Runners, Lakeline, the 6, the 402 and the 403.

A Saturday timetable will run on Rossendale Rovers, the 464, Trax.

• Saturday 30 December 2023 – normal Saturday service on all routes
• Sunday 31 December 2023 – normal Sunday times with last buses around 7pm, with final departures same as Christmas Eve
• Sunday 1 January 2024 – no buses will run
• Tuesday 2 January 2024 – normal services will resume

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Metrolink

• Between Sunday 24 December 2023 and Monday 1 January 2024, trams will operate across the network at a 15-minute frequency, reducing to 30 minutes after midnight on Friday and Saturday. Peak services will not operate but there will be additional double trams at busy periods. Please check the journey planner before travelling.
• Saturday 23 December 2023 – Normal Saturday service.
• Sunday 24 December 2023 – 15-minute frequency across the network. Services will start at 7am but will finish earlier, with last trams departing Manchester city centre stops between 8pm and 9pm.
• Monday 25 December 2023 – No Service.
• Tuesday 26 December 2023 – 7am start with a 15-minute frequency across the network. Services will end at midnight. There will be additional trams between Altrincham and Crumpsall for the Manchester United v Aston Villa match.

In addition, Manchester Piccadilly rail station will be closed. To access Piccadilly tram stop, you must use the Fairfield Street entrances.

• Wednesday 27 December 2023 – Services will start at 6am and end at midnight with a 15-minute frequency across the network.
• Thursday 28 December 2023 – Services will start at 6am and end at midnight with a 15-minute frequency across the network.
• Friday 29 December 2023 – Services will start at 6am and end at 1am the following day. 15-minute frequency across the network with services after midnight operating every 30 minutes.
• Saturday 30 December 2023 – Services will start at 6am and end at 1am the following day. 15-minute frequency across the network with services after midnight operating every 30 minutes.
  There will be additional trams between Etihad Campus and Deansgate-Castlefield for the Manchester City v Sheffield United match.
• Sunday 31 December 2023 – 15-minute frequency across the network with services starting at 7am and last trams departing Manchester city centre stops around 1am . Services after midnight will operate every 30 minutes.
  Exchange Square stop will be closed from 7pm until end of service. After 7pm, services will operate via Market Street and Shudehill only.
   
• Monday 1 January 2024 – 15-minute frequency across the network. Services will start at 7am and finish at midnight.
• Tuesday 2 January 2024 – Normal service, however Metrolink will introduce a new timetable for 2024. Please check before travelling as there may be changes to your journey.

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Trains

• Sunday 24 December 2023 - Sunday service, but most trains will stop running from 6pm onwards.
• Monday 25 December 2023 - No service.
• Tuesday 26 December 2023 - No service.
• Wednesday 27 December 2023 - Weekday service with some services starting later than normal.
• Thursday 28 December 2023 - Weekday service with some services starting later than normal.
• Friday 29 December 2023 - Weekday service with some services starting later than normal.
• Saturday 30 December 2023 - Saturday service with some services starting later than normal.
• Sunday 31 December 2023 - Sunday service, but most trains will stop running from 6pm onwards.
• Monday 1 January 2024 - Weekday service with some services starting later than normal.
• Tuesday 2 January 2024 - Normal service resumes.

Engineering work will also affect a number of services over the Christmas and New Year period. Please plan ahead and check times before you travel at nationalrail.co.uk or phone 03457 48 49 50.