Changes to the 419 bus service

Transport for Greater Manchester is advising passengers of changes to the 419 bus service, which will take effect from Monday (31 October).

The 419 service operates every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime, providing bus links across Oldham, Tameside and Rochdale.

Congestion and other traffic related issues on the route have created punctuality issues for the 419, with the service running late on a number of occasions.

TfGM subsequently carried out route surveys, which identified areas where re-routing the 419 would create additional running time, helping the service keep to its timetable.

Michael Renshaw, TfGM’s Bus and Rail Director, said: “The 419 bus service covers a nine-mile route, with each journey taking 40 minutes to complete and providing links across three districts.

“Unfortunately congestion on the route has created timing issues for this service, which has a knock on effect for services throughout the rest of the day as well as impacting on passengers.

“To try to resolve this situation, we carried out a number of surveys which identified an area where re-routing the 419 would have a minimal impact on passengers, who can use the extended Middleton Local Link instead, whilst helping the service stay on time.”

Surveys carried out by TfGM officers identified low passenger numbers using the 419 service in the Firwood Park area.

With effect from today, Monday 31 October, the 419 service will be re-routed to operate along Middleton Road and Oldham Road, no longer serving Firwood Park, Laurel Avenue and Mills Hill Road, which will provide additional running time along the remainder of the route.

In order to maintain connections with Middleton and Chadderton, the Middleton Local Link will be extended to cover the Firwood Park area between 7.00am and 6.00pm, Mondays to Saturdays.