Bus 81 in Manchester links Piccadilly Gardens and Oldham Bus Station. The route is 0.0 km long with 48 stops, and the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) puts the full trip at about 54 minutes. On a weekday it runs 31 trips in one direction, and 16 on a weekend day.
Route at a glance
| Mode | Bus |
|---|---|
| Route number | 81 |
| City | Manchester |
| Operator | Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) |
| Start → end | Piccadilly Gardens → Oldham Bus Station |
| End → start | Oldham Bus Station → Piccadilly Gardens |
| Route length | 0.0 km / 0.0 km in the opposite direction |
| Number of stops | 48 / 47 in the opposite direction |
| Travel time | about 54 minutes |
| Trips per day | 31 on weekdays, 16 on weekends one way |
| Frequency | peak 30 · midday 30 · weekend 60 |
| First / last trip from «Piccadilly Gardens» | 05:50 / 22:50 |
| First / last trip from «Oldham Bus Station» | 04:51 / 23:08 |
| Fare | 2.00 £ (fare in effect since 5 January 2025) |
| Updated | August 22, 2026 |
Route of Bus 81
Outbound: Piccadilly Gardens → Oldham Bus Station
This direction has 48 stops. The route passes The Unicorn, Shiredale Drive, Horncastle Road, Berkeley Avenue. The full list of stops in order is below.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piccadilly Gardens | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | The Unicorn | 0.0 km | |
| 3 | Hanover Street | 0.0 km | |
| 4 | Marshall Street | 0.0 km | |
| 5 | Clive Street | 0.0 km | |
| 6 | Peary Street | 0.0 km | |
| 7 | Livesey Street | 0.0 km | |
| 8 | Osborne Street | 0.0 km | |
| 9 | Whitley Road | 0.0 km | |
| 10 | Paget Street | 0.0 km | |
| 11 | Park View | 0.0 km | |
| 12 | Grangewood Drive | 0.0 km | |
| 13 | Shiredale Drive | 0.0 km | |
| 14 | Brewster Street | 0.0 km | |
| 15 | Lidl Harpurhey | 0.0 km | |
| 16 | Lidl Harpurhey | 0.0 km | |
| 17 | Hillier Street North | 0.0 km | |
| 18 | Clough Road | 0.0 km | |
| 19 | Cole Street | 0.0 km | |
| 20 | Ebsworth Street | 0.0 km | |
| 21 | Ivy Street | 0.0 km | |
| 22 | Blue Bell | 0.0 km | |
| 23 | Moston Cemetery | 0.0 km | |
| 24 | Horncastle Road | 0.0 km | |
| 25 | Nuthurst Road | 0.0 km | |
| 26 | Shawford Road | 0.0 km | |
| 27 | Leyburn Road | 0.0 km | |
| 28 | Gardener’s Arms | 0.0 km | |
| 29 | Gardener’s Arms | 0.0 km | |
| 30 | Moston Rail Station | 0.0 km | |
| 31 | Welbeck Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 32 | Kirby Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 33 | Broadway | 0.0 km | |
| 34 | Broadway | 0.0 km | |
| 35 | Berkeley Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 36 | Houseley Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 37 | Turf Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 38 | Lancaster Street | 0.0 km | |
| 39 | Butler Green | 0.0 km | |
| 40 | Old Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 41 | Worcester Street | 0.0 km | |
| 42 | Milne Street | 0.0 km | |
| 43 | Manchester Road | 0.0 km | |
| 44 | Frederick Street | 0.0 km | |
| 45 | Alfred Street | 0.0 km | |
| 46 | Lee Street | 0.0 km | |
| 47 | John Street | 0.0 km | |
| 48 | Oldham Bus Station | 0.0 km | Terminus |
Inbound: Oldham Bus Station → Piccadilly Gardens
This direction has 47 stops. The route passes John Street, Berkeley Avenue, Horncastle Road, Shiredale Drive. The full list of stops in order is below.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oldham Bus Station | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | John Street | 0.0 km | |
| 3 | Lee Street | 0.0 km | |
| 4 | Alfred Street | 0.0 km | |
| 5 | Manchester Road | 0.0 km | |
| 6 | Lincoln Street | 0.0 km | |
| 7 | Old Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 8 | Butler Green | 0.0 km | |
| 9 | Lancaster Street | 0.0 km | |
| 10 | Coalshaw Green Road | 0.0 km | |
| 11 | Houseley Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 12 | Long Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 13 | Berkeley Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 14 | Broadway | 0.0 km | |
| 15 | Broadway | 0.0 km | |
| 16 | Kirby Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 17 | Hollinwood Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 18 | Moston Rail Station | 0.0 km | |
| 19 | Branston Road | 0.0 km | |
| 20 | Gardener’s Arms | 0.0 km | |
| 21 | Leyburn Road | 0.0 km | |
| 22 | Shawford Road | 0.0 km | |
| 23 | Nuthurst Road | 0.0 km | |
| 24 | Horncastle Road | 0.0 km | |
| 25 | Moston Cemetery | 0.0 km | |
| 26 | Blue Bell | 0.0 km | |
| 27 | Leighton Street | 0.0 km | |
| 28 | Ivy Street | 0.0 km | |
| 29 | Cole Street | 0.0 km | |
| 30 | Edward Street | 0.0 km | |
| 31 | Hillier Street North | 0.0 km | |
| 32 | Lidl Harpurhey | 0.0 km | |
| 33 | Hemmington Drive | 0.0 km | |
| 34 | Carisbrook Street | 0.0 km | |
| 35 | Shiredale Drive | 0.0 km | |
| 36 | Lathbury Road | 0.0 km | |
| 37 | Queens Road | 0.0 km | |
| 38 | Paget Street | 0.0 km | |
| 39 | Whitley Road | 0.0 km | |
| 40 | Osborne Street | 0.0 km | |
| 41 | Peary Street | 0.0 km | |
| 42 | Clive Street | 0.0 km | |
| 43 | Marshall Street | 0.0 km | |
| 44 | Hanover Street | 0.0 km | |
| 45 | Turner Street | 0.0 km | |
| 46 | The Unicorn | 0.0 km | |
| 47 | Piccadilly Gardens | 0.0 km | Terminus |
Schedule and frequency
According to the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the route runs 31 trips in one direction on a weekday, and 16 on a weekend day.
| Direction | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| From «Piccadilly Gardens» | 05:50 — 22:50 | 07:50 — 22:50 |
| From «Oldham Bus Station» | 04:51 — 23:08 | 06:56 — 23:08 |
Frequency calculated from the departure table: in the morning peak buses run every 30 minutes; midday every 30 minutes; in the afternoon peak every 30–60; on weekends every 60 minutes.
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 81 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 05:50 and the last at 22:50. From Oldham Bus Station they are 04:51 and 23:08.
How long does the trip from Piccadilly Gardens to Oldham Bus Station take?
About 54 minutes end to end — the median of full trips in the official schedule.
How many stops does the route have?
48 outbound and 47 inbound according to the official GTFS feed. The two lists do not match exactly.
Does bus 81 run on weekends?
Yes. On weekends and holidays there are 16 trips in one direction, running from Piccadilly Gardens between 07:50 and 22:50.
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)).