{"id":5897,"date":"2026-08-22T23:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T22:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/bus-256-manchester"},"modified":"2026-08-23T08:45:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T07:45:37","slug":"bus-256-manchester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester","title":{"rendered":"Manchester Bus 256"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>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.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.manchester-future.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/08\/top-transport_bus-256-manchester-v1-map.jpg\" alt=\"Route map of bus 256 in Manchester: Piccadilly Gardens to Towns Gate\" width=\"1200\" height=\"780\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_68_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a8b9004b3a1c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a8b9004b3a1c\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#Route_at_a_glance\" title=\"Route at a glance\">Route at a glance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#Route_of_Bus_256\" title=\"Route of Bus 256\">Route of Bus 256<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#Outbound_Piccadilly_Gardens_%E2%86%92_Towns_Gate\" title=\"Outbound: Piccadilly Gardens \u2192 Towns Gate\">Outbound: Piccadilly Gardens \u2192 Towns Gate<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#Inbound_Towns_Gate_%E2%86%92_Piccadilly_Gardens\" title=\"Inbound: Towns Gate \u2192 Piccadilly Gardens\">Inbound: Towns Gate \u2192 Piccadilly Gardens<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#Schedule_and_frequency\" title=\"Schedule and frequency\">Schedule and frequency<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#Fare_and_payment\" title=\"Fare and payment\">Fare and payment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#Frequently_asked_questions\" title=\"Frequently asked questions\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#How_much_does_a_ride_on_bus_256_cost\" title=\"How much does a ride on bus 256 cost?\">How much does a ride on bus 256 cost?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#When_do_the_first_and_last_trips_run\" title=\"When do the first and last trips run?\">When do the first and last trips run?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#How_long_does_the_trip_from_Piccadilly_Gardens_to_Towns_Gate_take\" title=\"How long does the trip from Piccadilly Gardens to Towns Gate take?\">How long does the trip from Piccadilly Gardens to Towns Gate take?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#How_many_stops_does_the_route_have\" title=\"How many stops does the route have?\">How many stops does the route have?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/bus-256-manchester\/#Does_bus_256_run_on_weekends\" title=\"Does bus 256 run on weekends?\">Does bus 256 run on weekends?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Route_at_a_glance\"><\/span>Route at a glance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Mode<\/th>\n<td>Bus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Route number<\/th>\n<td>256<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>City<\/th>\n<td>Manchester<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Operator<\/th>\n<td>Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Start \u2192 end<\/th>\n<td>Piccadilly Gardens \u2192 Towns Gate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>End \u2192 start<\/th>\n<td>Towns Gate \u2192 Piccadilly Gardens<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Route length<\/th>\n<td>0.0 km \/ 0.0 km in the opposite direction<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Number of stops<\/th>\n<td>44 \/ 45 in the opposite direction<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Travel time<\/th>\n<td>about 53 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Trips per day<\/th>\n<td>50 on weekdays one way<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Frequency<\/th>\n<td>peak 20 \u00b7 midday 20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>First \/ last trip from \u00abPiccadilly Gardens\u00bb<\/th>\n<td>00:30 \/ 23:50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>First \/ last trip from \u00abTowns Gate\u00bb<\/th>\n<td>04:40 \/ 23:35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Fare<\/th>\n<td>2.00 \u00a3 (fare in effect since 5 January 2025)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Updated<\/th>\n<td>August 22, 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Route_of_Bus_256\"><\/span>Route of Bus 256<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Outbound_Piccadilly_Gardens_%E2%86%92_Towns_Gate\"><\/span>Outbound: Piccadilly Gardens \u2192 Towns Gate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>No.<\/th>\n<th>Stop<\/th>\n<th>From start<\/th>\n<th>Note<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<td>Piccadilly Gardens<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td>Terminus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2<\/td>\n<td>Oxford Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<td>Bridgewater Hall<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4<\/td>\n<td>City Road East<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td>Royce Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>6<\/td>\n<td>Hulme Park<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>7<\/td>\n<td>Mallow Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8<\/td>\n<td>Ribston Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>9<\/td>\n<td>Shawgreen Close<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10<\/td>\n<td>Malvern Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>11<\/td>\n<td>Nuttall Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>12<\/td>\n<td>Trafford Bar<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>13<\/td>\n<td>White City<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>14<\/td>\n<td>Warwick Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>15<\/td>\n<td>Tesco<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>16<\/td>\n<td>Greatstone Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>17<\/td>\n<td>Cavendish Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>18<\/td>\n<td>Taylors Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>19<\/td>\n<td>Davyhulme Road East<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>20<\/td>\n<td>Stretford Mall<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>21<\/td>\n<td>Stothard Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>22<\/td>\n<td>Moss Park Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>23<\/td>\n<td>Sevenways<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>24<\/td>\n<td>The Melville<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>25<\/td>\n<td>Chatsworth Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>26<\/td>\n<td>Lostock Clinic<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>27<\/td>\n<td>Old Hall Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>28<\/td>\n<td>Lostock Circle<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>29<\/td>\n<td>Moss Vale Hotel<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>30<\/td>\n<td>Hartford Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>31<\/td>\n<td>Exeter Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>32<\/td>\n<td>Hayeswater Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>33<\/td>\n<td>Cornhill Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>34<\/td>\n<td>Canterbury Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>35<\/td>\n<td>Hall Farm Avenue<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>36<\/td>\n<td>Trafford General Hospital<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>37<\/td>\n<td>Brook Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>38<\/td>\n<td>Mardale Avenue<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>39<\/td>\n<td>Lawrence Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>40<\/td>\n<td>Woodsend Circle<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>41<\/td>\n<td>Irlam Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>42<\/td>\n<td>St John&#8217;s<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>43<\/td>\n<td>Woodsend Crescent Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>44<\/td>\n<td>Towns Gate<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td>Terminus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Inbound_Towns_Gate_%E2%86%92_Piccadilly_Gardens\"><\/span>Inbound: Towns Gate \u2192 Piccadilly Gardens<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>No.<\/th>\n<th>Stop<\/th>\n<th>From start<\/th>\n<th>Note<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<td>Towns Gate<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td>Terminus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2<\/td>\n<td>Woodsend Crescent Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<td>Irlam Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4<\/td>\n<td>Woodbridge Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td>Lawrence Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>6<\/td>\n<td>Mardale Avenue<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>7<\/td>\n<td>Brook Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8<\/td>\n<td>Trafford General Hospital<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>9<\/td>\n<td>Hall Farm Avenue<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10<\/td>\n<td>Balmain Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>11<\/td>\n<td>Cornhill Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>12<\/td>\n<td>Davyhulme Circle<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>13<\/td>\n<td>Exeter Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>14<\/td>\n<td>Hartford Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>15<\/td>\n<td>Moss Vale Hotel<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>16<\/td>\n<td>Lostock Circle<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>17<\/td>\n<td>Old Hall Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>18<\/td>\n<td>Baslow Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>19<\/td>\n<td>Chatsworth Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>20<\/td>\n<td>The Melville<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>21<\/td>\n<td>Sevenways<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>22<\/td>\n<td>Moss Park Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>23<\/td>\n<td>Stothard Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>24<\/td>\n<td>Stretford Mall<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>25<\/td>\n<td>Stretford Public Hall<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>26<\/td>\n<td>Sydney Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>27<\/td>\n<td>Davyhulme Road East<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>28<\/td>\n<td>Thomas Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>29<\/td>\n<td>Taylors Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>30<\/td>\n<td>Greatstone Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>31<\/td>\n<td>Warwick Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>32<\/td>\n<td>Trafford Bar<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>33<\/td>\n<td>Nuttall Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>34<\/td>\n<td>Malvern Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>35<\/td>\n<td>Shawgreen Close<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>36<\/td>\n<td>Ribston Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>37<\/td>\n<td>Mallow Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>38<\/td>\n<td>Hulme Park<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>39<\/td>\n<td>Royce Road<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>40<\/td>\n<td>Home<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>41<\/td>\n<td>Bridgewater Hall<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>42<\/td>\n<td>Dickinson Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>43<\/td>\n<td>Dickinson Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>44<\/td>\n<td>Charlotte Street<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>45<\/td>\n<td>Piccadilly Gardens<\/td>\n<td>0.0 km<\/td>\n<td>Terminus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Schedule_and_frequency\"><\/span>Schedule and frequency<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>According to the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the route runs 50 trips in one direction on a weekday.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Direction<\/th>\n<th>Weekdays<\/th>\n<th>Weekends and holidays<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>From \u00abPiccadilly Gardens\u00bb<\/td>\n<td>00:30 \u2014 23:50<\/td>\n<td>\u2014 \u2014 \u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>From \u00abTowns Gate\u00bb<\/td>\n<td>04:40 \u2014 23:35<\/td>\n<td>\u2014 \u2014 \u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>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\u201330.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fare_and_payment\"><\/span>Fare and payment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>A single ride costs 2.00 \u00a3<\/strong> \u2014 fare in effect since 5 January 2025. The same fare applies to buses in Greater Manchester.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A single bus journey costs \u00a32.00. 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 \u00a35.00. Transfers within 60 minutes are free. Transfers within the hopper hour are free across all Bee Network buses.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_asked_questions\"><\/span>Frequently asked questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_much_does_a_ride_on_bus_256_cost\"><\/span>How much does a ride on bus 256 cost?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>2.00 \u00a3 for a single ride \u2014 fare in effect since 5 January 2025.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_do_the_first_and_last_trips_run\"><\/span>When do the first and last trips run?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_does_the_trip_from_Piccadilly_Gardens_to_Towns_Gate_take\"><\/span>How long does the trip from Piccadilly Gardens to Towns Gate take?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>About 53 minutes end to end \u2014 the median of full trips in the official schedule.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_stops_does_the_route_have\"><\/span>How many stops does the route have?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>44 outbound and 45 inbound according to the official GTFS feed. The two lists do not match exactly.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_bus_256_run_on_weekends\"><\/span>Does bus 256 run on weekends?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, the route runs every day, with a separate weekend schedule.<\/p>\n<p>Every route number with its termini, operating hours and travel time is collected in the <a href=\"\/en\/buses-manchester\">Manchester buses<\/a> overview.<\/p>\n<p><em>Data current as of August 22, 2026. Schedule and termini \u2014 Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). Fares \u2014 Transport for Greater Manchester. Stop list, schedule and route geometry come from the official GTFS feed (Bus Open Data Service (BODS)).<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 Mode Bus Route number [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":637,"featured_media":5898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2981],"tags":[],"moimportance":[],"motype":[],"moformat":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5897","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-transport-en"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/637"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5897"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5901,"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5897\/revisions\/5901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5897"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=5897"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=5897"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manchester-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=5897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}