Manchester residents are being offered special festive bus services with a capped £3 fare to go Christmas shopping in Lancashire.

Operator Transdev plans to whisk thousands of people to shopping and leisure attractions for a fraction of the cost of driving and parking

The offer is being made by its subsidiaries The Blackburn Bus Company, The Burnley Bus Company and Rosso.

They have recommended that Christmas shoppers can avoid the stress of driving into packed city centres while saving money for gifts by taking the bus straight to the heart of Blackburn, Manchester, Burnley and Preston – with one-way fares capped at £3.

Concessionary travel passes will be available to use as normal, with free travel after 9.30am Monday to Friday, and anytime at weekends and bank holidays.

The Blackburn Bus Company general manager Frank Stanisauskis said: “Congested streets, roadworks and expensive car parking charges – it all adds up to a challenging time for drivers. Anything that avoids stress and saves money at this time of year has to be a good idea, and that’s where we come in.”

The Burnley Bus Company general manager Tony Fiocca said: ““We’re releasing details of our seasonal bus services now to make it easier for everyone to make travel plans – and for those who fancy a break from work or shopping, we’ve come up with some great suggestions for a day out on the ‘things to do’ page of our website.”

Full details of all services are available online at: transdevbus.co.uk/the-blackburn-bus-company, transdevbus.co.uk/the-burnley-bus-company and transdevbus.co.uk/rosso, and via the free Transdev Go mobile app.

Manchester residents can get straight to the heart of Blackburn, Preston and Burnley thanks to The Blackburn Bus Company, The Burnley Bus Company and Rosso’s easonal bus services.

placeholder image — Manchester residents can get straight to the heart of Blackburn, Preston and Burnley thanks to The Blackburn Bus Company, The Burnley Bus Company and Rosso’s easonal bus services.

The Blackburn Bus Company buses will run as follows over the festive period:

Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 December – Saturday service.
Christmas Eve, Wednesday 24 December – As Monday 23 December, but with last buses around 7pm. Last buses: the 1, 6.00pm Blackburn to Bolton, 6.40pm Blackburn to Jacks Key Drive, 7.10pm Blackburn to Darwen Cemetery, 7.13pm Bolton to Blackburn, 7.44pm Darwen to Blackburn; Route 4, 6.45pm Blackburn to Leyburn Road; Route 6, 7.03pm Blackburn to Accrington, 7.40pm Accrington to Blackburn; Route 7, 7.10pm Blackburn to Accrington, 7.40pm Accrington to Blackburn; Valleyline 22, 6.40pm Blackburn to Clitheroe, 7.23pm Clitheroe to Shadsworth, 8.05pm Blackburn to Shadsworth, 8.18pm Shadsworth to Blackburn; Hotline 152, 5.52pm Burnley to Preston, 6.10pm Preston to Burnley, 6.23pm, 6.53pm, 7.23pm and 7.53pm Burnley to Blackburn, 6.48pm Blackburn to Preston, 6.50pm and 7.25pm Preston to Blackburn, 6.58pm Blackburn to Burnley; Red Express X41, 5.30pm Accrington to Manchester, 7.10pm Manchester to Accrington.
Christmas Day, Thursday 25 December – buses and drivers take a festive break, so no services will run on this day.
Boxing Day, Friday 26 December – special Boxing Day timetables every 30 minutes daytime on the 1 between Darwen and Blackburn, route 6 between Accrington and Blackburn, and route 7 between Blackburn and Accrington – full details online at: transdevbus.co.uk/the-blackburn-bus-company.

The Burnley Bus Company and Rosso buses will run as follows over the festive period:

Monday 22 December and Tuesday 23 December – Saturday service on all routes, plus extra Mainline M5 from Burnley at 5am to Barnoldswick (Silentnight Factory) and Witchway X43 from Rawtenstall at 7.04am to Burnley. Route 9 will also operate its normal weekday timetable; on Tuesday 23 December, and Witchway X43 Nightbus journeys from Manchester at midnight, 1,10am and 2.10am will not run, while Hotline 152 journeys after 8pm will serve St James Street in Burnley, not Mechanics.
Christmas Eve, Wednesday 24 December –Saturday service plus extra Mainline M5 from Burnley at 5am to Barnoldswick (Silentnight Factory); Witchway X43 Nightbus journeys from Manchester at midnight, 1,10am and 2.10am will not run; and Route 9 will also operate its normal weekday timetable. Last buses: Route 1, 7.30pm from Burnley, 7.42pm from Stoops; Route 2, 6.30pm from Burnley, 7.20pm from Colne; Route 3, 7.11pm from Burnley, 7.24pm from Pike Hill; Route 4, 6.26pm from Burnley, 6.52pm from Worsthorne; Route 5, 7.30pm from Harle Syke, 7.35pm from Rosegrove; Route 8, 6.35pm from Burnley, 6.38pm from Bacup; Red Express X41, 5.30pm Accrington to Manchester, 7.10pm Manchester to Accrington; Witchway X43, 6pm Burnley to Manchester, 7.30pm Manchester to Burnley, plus 6.30pm and 7pm Burnley to Rawtenstall; Mainline M1, 6.12pm Burnley to Accrington, 6.38pm Burnley to Hapton, 7.11pm Accrington to Burnley; Mainline M2, 6.53pm Clitheroe to Burnley, 7.08pm Burnley to Clitheroe, 7.38pm Burnley to Padiham; Mainline M3, 6.35pm from Burnley, 7.56pm from Trawden; Mainline M4, 6.30pm Burnley to Keighley, 7.11pm Keighley to Burnley, 7.30pm Burnley to Colne; Mainline M5, 6pm Burnley to Barnoldswick, 7pm Burnley to Colne, 7.11pm Barnoldswick to Burnley; Mainline M6, 6.15pm Burnley to Skipton, 7.45pm Skipton to Burnley, 7.45pm Burnley to Colne; Hotline 152, 5.52pm Burnley to Preston, 6.10pm Preston to Burnley, 6.23pm, 6.53pm, 7.23pm and 7.53pm Burnley to Blackburn, 6.48pm Blackburn to Preston, 6.50pm and 7.25pm Preston to Blackburn, 6.58pm Blackburn to Burnley; Route 464, 6.30pm Accrington to Rochdale, 6.48pm Rochdale to Accrington, 7pm Accrington to Rawtenstall; Irwell Line 481, 6.50pm Blackburn to Bury, 5.05pm Bury to Blackburn, 5.50pm Blackburn to Rawtenstall, 6.10pm Bury to Rawtenstall; Irwell Line 483, 5.35pm Bury to Burnley, 5.50pm Burnley to Bury, 6.50pm Burnley to Rawtenstall.
On Christmas Day, Thursday 25 December – Transdev’s buses and drivers take a festive break, so no services will run on this day.
Boxing Day, Friday 26 December will see special Boxing Day timetables on Mainline M2 between Burnley and Padiham, Mainline M5 between Burnley and Colne, and Witchway X43 between Burnley and Manchester, with full details online at: transdevbus.co.uk/the-burnley-bus-company.
Saturday, 27 December – normal Saturday service.
Sunday, 28 December – normal Sunday service.
Monday 29 December and Tuesday 30 December – As Monday 22 December, including extra Mainline M5 from Burnley at 5am to Barnoldswick (Silentnight Factory); Witchway X43 Nightbus journeys from Manchester at midnight, 1,10am and 2.10am will not run; and Route 9 will also operate its normal weekday timetable. Hotline 152 journeys after 8pm will serve St James Street in Burnley, not Mechanics.
New Year’s Eve, Wednesday 31 December – Saturday service plus extra Mainline M5 from Burnley at 5am to Barnoldswick (Silentnight Factory);Witchway X43 Nightbus journeys from Manchester at midnight, 1,10am and 2.10am will not run; and Route 9 will also operate its normal weekday timetable. Last buses as Christmas Eve.
New Year’s Day, Thursday 1 January 2025 – no services will run.
Friday, 2 January 2025 – normal weekday services resume.