Hopwood Hall College commits £80,000 to new bus routes

Hopwood Hall College has announced that £80,000 of college funds have been committed to create four new bus routes for students travelling to the Middleton campus (Rochdale Road). The buses will pick up and drop off Hopwood Hall students at the main entrance of the college in the morning and also at the end of the day. 

The routes have been designed to make coming to study at the Middleton site more accessible for young people from surrounding areas such as Rochdale, Heywood, North Manchester and Oldham. Students aged 16-19 can travel at the concessionary rate of fifty pence each way, but often had to catch more than one bus to and from Hopwood Hall. By creating these tailor-made bus routes, it is anticipated that students will find their journeys to and from college more reliable, quicker and cheaper.

The college contacted several bus companies and after negotiations, announced that Viking Coaches and Swans Travel Ltd will run the services. Flyers will be placed in local schools this week providing details of the routes for students who have applied or wish to apply to the college for next September.

Timetable information for the new buses will be posted on the college website over the summer holidays (www.hopwood.ac.uk). There are some places still available for September, for more information call the college’s freephone number: 0800 834 297. 

Ted Taylor, Head of Student Services at Hopwood Hall commented:

“The college has responded to issues raised at Student Council meetings, where Student Representatives voiced concerns over travel to the Middleton site from surrounding areas. In some instances students have to take two or three buses to get to college from their homes in places such as Heywood or Failsworth, which makes their everyday journey difficult. We are looking forward to getting the new routes up and running this coming September, which if successful may be extended to other areas in the borough.”  

Four new routes have been created, which will be exclusively available to new and existing college students as of September 2006:

From Rochdale: Shaw Rd (Newhey) – Newhey Rd (Milnrow) – Rochdale Rd (Firgrove) – Kingsway (Newbold) – Queenway Jct (Castleton) – Rochdale Rd (Slattocks) - Middleton Campus

From Heywood: Bury New Rd (Heywood Summit) – Church Street (Heywood Centre) – A6064 (Middleton Rd) – Hollin Lane (Hollins) – Langley Lane - Windermere Rd (Langley) – Middleton Campus

From Shaw: Manchester Rd - Moor St (Shaw) – Broadway - Middleton Rd (Royton) –Oldham Rd - Hilton Fold Lane (Chadderton) – Green Lane - Stannycliffe Lane (Boarshaw) – Middleton Campus

From Failsworth: Brierley Ave - Westminster Ave - Ashton Rd East - Ashton Rd West – Ashton Old Rd - Hardman Lane – (New Moston) Moston Lane East - Hollingwood Ave (Blackley) Moston Lane - Charlestown Road – Middleton Campus