Yellow trains on the way as Burnham starts Bee Network rail takeover

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has agreed a plan to take over eight commuter train lines by 2028 as part of a joined-up ‘London-style’ public transport system, intended to boost passenger numbers, drive growth and deliver new homes.
Developed in partnership with the rail industry, Department for Transport (DfT) and Shadow Great British Rail, the plan involves integrated ticketing and capped fares between Bee Network buses, trams and yellow branded train services, and a new station at Golborne.
Burnham has been highly critical of the performance of the train operating companies and described the rail system as a “brake on growth” of the city region and said Greater Manchester needs “a railway that is reliable and fully integrated with the rest of the Bee Network to drive growth and deliver new homes with public transport connections on the doorstep.”
In total 64 stations will be brought into the Bee Network in three phases.
Under the plan, the first two lines – connecting Manchester to Glossop and Stalybridge – will join by December 2026. A further 32 stations and all lines within Greater Manchester would join by 2030.
The approach is expected to boost the number of trips by train by 1.3 million each year, with more people choosing public transport and more services running later and at the weekend.
Commuters travelling from Glossop could tap in on the train and then use all buses or trams in Greater Manchester.
The plan will also give powers to build an initial 750 new homes close to rail stations by 2028.
Burnham’s old parliamentary constituency of Leigh will also be getting a new station at Golborne after the government approved an outline business case.
The £32 million station will reconnect Golborne to the railway for the first time in more than 60 years. With the Department for Transport green light, TfGM, GMCA and Wigan Council can now develop a full business case and detailed design this year. Subject to approvals, work is expected to begin in 2026 with the first trains hoped to stop there in 2027.
Golborne will be served by hourly trains between Wigan, Manchester Victoria, and Stalybridge, resulting in reduced travel times to Manchester city centre by up to 30 minutes.
Currently, Golborne has no direct bus, tram, or train connections to Manchester. The station will support the town’s regeneration ambitions, enhance local connectivity, and provide access to employment, education, and leisure opportunities.
Andy Burnham, Lou Cordwell and Cllr Martyn Cox setting out the case for an integrated public transport system
Burnham, said: “Our rail system today is acting as a brake on growth and, as the UK’s fastest growing city-region, Greater Manchester deserves better. We need a railway that is reliable and fully integrated with the rest of the Bee Network to drive growth and deliver new homes with public transport connections on the doorstep.
“Building on the success of bringing our buses back under local control, we’re planning a phased approach to bringing eight commuter lines and their stations into the Bee Network. It will start with lines between the city centre and Glossop and Stalybridge and then expand each year between now and 2028.
“Our plan puts passengers first by delivering a simplified, joined-up public transport network, with better services, stations and overall experience. Only by making travel by train more reliable, simpler, flexible and accessible to everyone, will we convince more people to leave the car at home and make the switch to the Bee Network.
“Delivering change on the railways is notoriously complex, but our phased plan has been drawn up with and has the backing of the rail industry. We’ll continue to work with government – as Great British Rail is established – to support them on the national reform of the railways, enacting the rail powers outlined in the English Devolution White Paper and supporting the Government’s agenda.”