Manchester Bus 256

Bus 256 in Manchester links Piccadilly Gardens and Towns Gate. The route is 0.0 km long with 44 stops, and the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) puts the full trip at about 53 minutes. On a weekday it runs 50 trips in one direction.

Route at a glance

Route of Bus 256

Outbound: Piccadilly Gardens → Towns Gate

This direction has 44 stops. The route passes Oxford Street, Trafford Bar, Moss Park Road, Hayeswater Road. The full list of stops in order is below.

Inbound: Towns Gate → Piccadilly Gardens

This direction has 45 stops. The route passes Woodsend Crescent Road, Davyhulme Circle, Moss Park Road, Trafford Bar. The full list of stops in order is below.

Schedule and frequency

According to the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the route runs 50 trips in one direction on a weekday.

Frequency calculated from the departure table: in the morning peak buses run every 20 minutes; midday every 20 minutes; in the afternoon peak every 20–30.

Fare and payment

A single ride costs 2.00 £ — fare in effect since 5 January 2025. The same fare applies to buses in Greater Manchester.

A single bus journey costs £2.00. It is a hopper fare: unlimited bus journeys across the Bee Network within one hour of the first tap cost nothing extra. A day ticket is £5.00. Transfers within 60 minutes are free. Transfers within the hopper hour are free across all Bee Network buses.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a ride on bus 256 cost?

2.00 £ for a single ride — fare in effect since 5 January 2025.

When do the first and last trips run?

From Piccadilly Gardens the first is at 00:30 and the last at 23:50. From Towns Gate they are 04:40 and 23:35.

How long does the trip from Piccadilly Gardens to Towns Gate take?

About 53 minutes end to end — the median of full trips in the official schedule.

How many stops does the route have?

44 outbound and 45 inbound according to the official GTFS feed. The two lists do not match exactly.

Does bus 256 run on weekends?

Yes, the route runs every day, with a separate weekend schedule.

Every route number with its termini, operating hours and travel time is collected in the Manchester buses overview.

Data current as of August 22, 2026. Schedule and termini — Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). Fares — Transport for Greater Manchester. Stop list, schedule and route geometry come from the official GTFS feed (Bus Open Data Service (BODS)).