Upcoming changes to local bus routes

A number of changes are being made to local bus routes from Sunday 29 January.

The service changes affect the Diamond 162/163 route; four Go North West Routes (6, 17, 41 and 129) and two Rosso routes (R2 and R8), with one new Rosso service, the R11.

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Diamond 162/163

The 162 will be replaced by the 163, meaning more journeys between Heywood and Bury via Darnhill.

Diamond says: “This is to ensure that the majority of customers' needs are served better, with the unfortunate consequence that some under used parts of journeys are withdrawn.

“After consultation with TfGM, the Sunday evening service will be altered to reflect the reduced patronage between Middleton and Manchester so that it will operate hourly between Manchester and Bury.

“Customers at Norden are advised to use either revised service 17, with certain journeys being extended to Norden from the same date, or the R2 to Heywood.”

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Go North West

6 Rochdale to Kirkholt

There will be changes to the timetable of this service on all days to improve reliability and timekeeping.

17 Manchester to Rochdale and Norden

A small number of weekday morning and afternoon journeys will now extend to Norden.

Buses will leave Norden to Manchester at 06:02, 06:18 and 06:55 in the morning.

Buses will depart Rochdale to Norden at 18:08, 18:37, 18:55 and 19:11 in the evening, leaving Manchester at 17:00, 17:30, 17:50 and 18:10.

There will be no changes between Manchester and Rochdale.

Between Rochdale and Norden these journeys will operate the same route as service R8.

41 Middleton to Sale

There will be some minor changes to the early evening weekday and Saturday timetables to improve timekeeping.

129 Middleton to Hollin 

There will be some minor changes to the weekday and Saturday timetables to improve timekeeping.

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Rosso

There will be a new Monday to Friday journey on Rochdale Runners R2 at 19:10, running as far as Norden.

On Rochdale Runners R8, the Monday to Friday trips at 06:36 from Norden and 18:20 and 19:10 from Rochdale will no longer run.

These trips will be replaced by journeys on Go North West's 17 which will run between Rochdale and Norden at similar times. You will be able to use your System One tickets on both the R8 and the 17.

There will be a new route called Rochale Runners R11. This route will run one journey in each direction on schooldays only between Rochdale and Lane Head.

Trips will operate along the same route as Trax 467 to Daniel Fold, extending to the turning circle at Lane Head.