Andy Burnham unveils ‘new era’ of Bee Network Rail – and promises 24/7 Airport service

Andy Burnham unveiled his bright, yellow vision for Greater Manchester’s railways — promising ‘a new era’ for passengers.

The mayor beamed as he posed for photos by a yellow Bee Network-branded train at Manchester Piccadilly on Thursday (December 11), designed to promote the first of eight commuter lines coming into his control in just over a year. He is already making some changes, shaking-up ticketing last weekend and promising ‘through-the-night’ city centre to Manchester Airport services.

The first two Bee Network Rail lines will be Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge, and Manchester Piccadilly and Glossop, beginning operation on December 13, 2026.

A year later, Piccadilly to Manchester Airport, Alderley Edge and Buxton via Stockport join the system, and by the end of 2028, services from town to Rochdale, Wigan via Atherton, Wigan via Bolton (onward to Southport) and Wigan via Golborne will enter Bee Network Rail.

It means that by 2028, Greater Manchester should have a transport system where passengers can use one bank card to simply tap-and-go on buses, trams, and trains, much like London. More punctual services, new rolling stock, and cheaper tickets are also being promised by the mayor.

“It’s pretty striking, isn’t it?,” he remarked to reporters. “What a huge symbol of another new era that’s opening up for Greater Manchester. Bee Network Rail, just one year out.”

The mayor previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service there is ‘alignment’ between his office, the government, and rail companies to make the plan happen. However, the launch of Bee Network rail began with Mr Burnham trying to smooth over differences with ministers.

He wants Greater Manchester’s trains to be painted yellow, in line with Bee Network buses and Metrolink trams, but a recently unveiled livery of Great British Rail, set to replace many operators in the coming years, has a Union Jack motif.

He said: “I’m going to make it really clear. I want to see all of our commuter trains in Bee Network yellow livery. 

“I think it helps rail passengers if there’s a clear livery in the city-region so they know what’s a Greater Manchester service.”

The difference in opinion illustrates how many different organisations need to work together to make Bee Network rail a success. Transport commissioner Vernon Everitt explained: “We are presenting the public an integrated system, but behind the scenes there are still clear roles and accountabilities for people. For things like delay-repay, that would still fall to the franchise.”

Playing happy families also must come at a time when Greater Manchester’s infrastructure is in dire need of investment — meaning tough choices on which services will be prioritised on ageing track, Mr Burnham admitted.

“There’s always going to be those tensions, but… Network Rail has signed up to the plan with us,” he said.

“After years of lots of arguments about what’s going right and wrong in the rail industry, finally, we’re all getting on the same page together and saying, ‘look, let’s just get on the journey of improvement, put differences behind us and make the trains work better for people in Greater Manchester’.”

The company operating the majority of Bee Network Rail services will be Northern. Its managing director Tricia Williams is under no illusions she needs her company to uphold its end of the bargain.

She said: “I don’t think we would be having this event today, if we hadn’t proved over the last year we could deliver that stability. 

“We are now all partners in delivering a more connected transport system in Greater Manchester, so he will hold me to account, as he does, but equally, I want to make sure that we can deliver as part of it.”