The first tranche of Greater Manchester franchising will see the majority of local buses in Bolton and Wigan run by Go North West. Two large packages, to start on September 24, 2023, have been let by Transport for Greater Manchester, absorbing services currently provided by Diamond and Stagecoach along with some from Arriva and First.
Diamond has indicated that in principle, it will sell its Bolton depot to TfGM, along with many of the vehicles, which will then lease them to the franchisee. It was unclear whether any similar agreement had been reached with Stagecoach in respect of its Wigan depot; planning permission for an alternative depot (Buses December) had still not been granted in early January. Go North West requires 308 buses for the two packages it has won.
Nine smaller packages were also up for grabs, with the size of these expected to appeal to smaller and medium enterprises. However, seven have been won by Diamond, which will be acquiring 67 new buses, along with a new depot site in Eccles (for 100 buses) to run them. Most of these are routes currently subsidised by TfGM, although a handful include commercial elements.
While a number of these routes are already run by Diamond, the Rotal…
