GMPTE is working with its partners, on behalf of Greater Manchester’s 2.5 million residents, to develop and invest in a public transport system that contributes to the economic competitiveness and success of the region.
GMPTE is committed to providing people with attractive travel choices and addressing the problems of transport related social exclusion, whilst respecting the environment and acknowledging the diversity of the Greater Manchester community.
GMPTE carries out the policies of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority, either by providing and managing facilities itself or by contracting with bus, tram and train operators to provide them. GMPTE:
- own all the bus stations, shelters and stops in Greater Manchester and make sure all the information displayed is correct. GMPTE recently opened a major new public transport interchange at Shudehill in Manchester city centre and new bus stations in Middleton, Hyde and Oldham.
- pay for bus services that are not provided commercially by the bus operators but which meet an essential community need.
- subsidise concessionary fares and free travel throughout the county. Greater Manchester is one of the few areas of the country where the free travel scheme for older and disabled people, introduced on 1 April 2006, covers trains and trams as well as buses.
- pay for door-to-door public transport services, such as Local Link and Ring & Ride, to make it easier for people to reach health, education and leisure facilities as well as work.
- own the innovative and successful Metrolink system and work with the operator, Serco, to improve service levels and monitor quality.
- work with the train operators to ensure that local rail services meet local travel needs and invest in the network, with major improvements recently made at Bolton Interchange, Horwich Parkway and Hindley train stations.
- actively campaign to promote public transport in Greater Manchester, to improve the environment and cut congestion.
Metrolink
GMPTE owns the highly popular Metrolink tram system, which runs from Bury to Altrincham via Manchester City Centre, with an extension to Salford Quays and Eccles. Nearly 20 million journeys are now made by passengers using the service every year.
GMPTE is currently spending over £700 million on the Metrolink network - building new tram lines and investing heavily in improvements to the existing tram system.
The work is now well underway and involves extension of the network to Oldham and Rochdale, East Manchester and Droylsden, Chorlton and MediaCityUK plus an overhaul of tracks and stops, 40 new trams and 200 new ticket machines.
Bus
GMPTE is committed to encouraging people out of their cars by making travel by bus more attractive. We are working with Greater Manchester’s district councils and bus operators to deliver a network of Quality Bus Corridors covering more than 200 miles of major roads. The corridors improve bus journey times and punctuality by introducing measures such as traffic signal prioritisation and separate bus lanes where appropriate. We are also introducing real time passenger information (RTPI) screens at bus stops across Greater Manchester which give passengers up-to-the-minute information about when their bus will arrive.
Rail
GMPTE is working to improve rail travel across Greater Manchester and plays a key role in the North West Rail Investment Campaign. Decades of under-investment in the rail system, combined with increases in the number of passengers and amount of freight carried, have resulted in the poor quality and reliability of some services.
The campaign is committed to building an effective case to persuade the Department for Transport that rail projects in the region can be value for money and provide wider economic benefits to the region and the rest of the country.
