Belle Vue Coaches

[iMarkeh]

RE: Belle Vue Coaches

(26/02/2026 19:55)plaxtonpointer11 Wrote:  What people don’t realise is, Cheshire East residents use this service to travel to Stockport and its amenities. Taking away a link just because it looks like it duplicates another service would have a detrimental impact on the people that rely on it and makes it look unattractive. That would (in effect) be enough to finish the 391 for good.

So many better things that could be done with the 391. And if Belle Vue/Cheshire East were serious about the service being mostly for Cheshire East residents and not leaching off Bee Network, put restrictions in place to be set down from Hazel Grove to Stockport, and pick up only in the other direction. The only reason yous won't do it is because you know you'd lose too much revenue.

And in general, the 391 funds could be much better spent either by making a faster version (rather than the current 391 which takes about 13 years to get anywhere), or providing improved east/west links from Poynton to Wilmslow so that Cheshire East money isn't being wasted on a service to plod through Greater Manchester.

Cross border links are important, they aren't 391, spending tens, is not hundreds of thousands of pounds each year on Greater Manchester mileage levels of important.

[knutstransport]

RE: Belle Vue Coaches

(26/02/2026 19:55)plaxtonpointer11 Wrote:  What people don’t realise is, Cheshire East residents use this service to travel to Stockport and its amenities. Taking away a link just because it looks like it duplicates another service would have a detrimental impact on the people that rely on it and makes it look unattractive. That would (in effect) be enough to finish the 391 for good.

People in Holmes Chapel have called for some form of bus provision to Knutsford to be reinstated. Cheshire East's response was you can get a train from Holmes Chapel to Chelford, and a bus from Chelford to Knutsford.

Likewise following the 130 being truncated, initially to East Didsbury and then later diverted to Wythenshawe, they said about people being able to change if they want Manchester.

Poynton and Macclesfield both have trains to Stockport. The council should be putting pressure on the relevant parties for the promised (but dropped) additional trains from Manchester/Stockport to Poynton/Macclesfield, and to Knutsford/Northwich to actually get implemented. In the peak hours Northern use a path for a Hazel Grove only service running just ahead or just behind a Buxton service. That seems a waste.

Personally I think the most useful cross-border service would be a "super route" extending the 288 Manchester Airport to Altrincham service to Knutsford, with a dedicated stop for Tatton Park, as well one for the Birds of Prey centre. Then alternative services could continue further to Northwich replacing the 89. That would connect Northwich with both Tatton Park and Manchester Airport, without an overprovision. But with 3 different councils and Greater Manchester having a franchise system that seems very unlikely to be considered.