Bus 42A in Manchester links Piccadilly Gardens and Thornley Lane. The route is 0.0 km long with 62 stops, and the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) puts the full trip at about 67 minutes. On a weekday it runs 27 trips in one direction, and 9 on a weekend day.
Route at a glance
| Mode | Bus |
|---|---|
| Route number | 42A |
| City | Manchester |
| Operator | Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) |
| Start → end | Piccadilly Gardens → Thornley Lane |
| End → start | Thornley Lane → Piccadilly Gardens |
| Route length | 0.0 km / 0.0 km in the opposite direction |
| Number of stops | 62 / 61 in the opposite direction |
| Travel time | about 67 minutes |
| Trips per day | 27 on weekdays, 9 on weekends one way |
| Frequency | peak 30–43 · midday 30 · weekend 60 |
| First / last trip from «Piccadilly Gardens» | 05:40 / 23:15 |
| First / last trip from «Thornley Lane» | 06:18 / 22:45 |
| Fare | 2.00 £ (fare in effect since 5 January 2025) |
| Updated | August 22, 2026 |
Route of Bus 42A
Outbound: Piccadilly Gardens → Thornley Lane
This direction has 62 stops. The route passes Charlotte Street, Old Hall Lane, Beaver Road Junior School, Wellington Road North. The full list of stops in order is below.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piccadilly Gardens | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Charlotte Street | 0.0 km | |
| 3 | Major Street | 0.0 km | |
| 4 | Palace Theatre | 0.0 km | |
| 5 | Oxford Road Station | 0.0 km | |
| 6 | Mancunian Way | 0.0 km | |
| 7 | Aquatics Centre | 0.0 km | |
| 8 | University Shopping Centre | 0.0 km | |
| 9 | University of Manchester | 0.0 km | |
| 10 | Manchester Royal Infirmary | 0.0 km | |
| 11 | St Mary’s | 0.0 km | |
| 12 | Dagenham Road | 0.0 km | |
| 13 | Grandale Street | 0.0 km | |
| 14 | Dickenson Road | 0.0 km | |
| 15 | Platt Fields Park | 0.0 km | |
| 16 | Grangethorpe Road | 0.0 km | |
| 17 | Old Hall Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 18 | Furness Road | 0.0 km | |
| 19 | Friendship Inn | 0.0 km | |
| 20 | Granville Road | 0.0 km | |
| 21 | Derby Road | 0.0 km | |
| 22 | Withington Library | 0.0 km | |
| 23 | Withington St Paul’s | 0.0 km | |
| 24 | The Christie | 0.0 km | |
| 25 | Oak Road | 0.0 km | |
| 26 | Westholme Road | 0.0 km | |
| 27 | Lapwing Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 28 | Belfield Road | 0.0 km | |
| 29 | Didsbury Library | 0.0 km | |
| 30 | Didsbury Village | 0.0 km | |
| 31 | Grange Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 32 | Beaver Road Junior School | 0.0 km | |
| 33 | Fletcher Moss | 0.0 km | |
| 34 | Didsbury Cricket Club | 0.0 km | |
| 35 | East Didsbury Station | 0.0 km | |
| 36 | East Didsbury Metrolink Stop | 0.0 km | |
| 37 | Burnage Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 38 | Grundy Street | 0.0 km | |
| 39 | Crown Inn | 0.0 km | |
| 40 | Didsbury Road | 0.0 km | |
| 41 | Fylde Road | 0.0 km | |
| 42 | Moorside Road | 0.0 km | |
| 43 | Moor Top | 0.0 km | |
| 44 | Cliff Grove | 0.0 km | |
| 45 | Shaw Road | 0.0 km | |
| 46 | Heaton Chapel Station | 0.0 km | |
| 47 | Wellington Road North | 0.0 km | |
| 48 | George & Dragon | 0.0 km | |
| 49 | Appleton Road | 0.0 km | |
| 50 | Broadstone Hall Road | 0.0 km | |
| 51 | Broadstone Mill | 0.0 km | |
| 52 | Sylvia Grove | 0.0 km | |
| 53 | Houldsworth Square | 0.0 km | |
| 54 | Higginson Road | 0.0 km | |
| 55 | Westbourne Grove | 0.0 km | |
| 56 | Christ Church | 0.0 km | |
| 57 | Mill Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 58 | Somers Road | 0.0 km | |
| 59 | Furnival Street | 0.0 km | |
| 60 | Brighton Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 61 | Beresford Crescent | 0.0 km | |
| 62 | Thornley Lane | 0.0 km | Terminus |
Inbound: Thornley Lane → Piccadilly Gardens
This direction has 61 stops. The route passes Boscombe Street, George & Dragon, Didsbury Cricket Club, Granville Road. The full list of stops in order is below.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thornley Lane | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Boscombe Street | 0.0 km | |
| 3 | Brighton Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 4 | Furnival Street | 0.0 km | |
| 5 | Somers Road | 0.0 km | |
| 6 | Mill Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 7 | Reddish Library | 0.0 km | |
| 8 | Sykes Street | 0.0 km | |
| 9 | Houldsworth Square | 0.0 km | |
| 10 | Sylvia Grove | 0.0 km | |
| 11 | Houldsworth Street | 0.0 km | |
| 12 | Broadstone Mill | 0.0 km | |
| 13 | Briarfield Road | 0.0 km | |
| 14 | Broadstone Hall Road | 0.0 km | |
| 15 | Appleton Road | 0.0 km | |
| 16 | George & Dragon | 0.0 km | |
| 17 | Wellington Road North | 0.0 km | |
| 18 | Heaton Chapel Station | 0.0 km | |
| 19 | Shaw Road | 0.0 km | |
| 20 | Cliff Grove | 0.0 km | |
| 21 | Moor Top | 0.0 km | |
| 22 | Moorside Road | 0.0 km | |
| 23 | Thornfield Park | 0.0 km | |
| 24 | Mauldeth Road | 0.0 km | |
| 25 | Crown Inn | 0.0 km | |
| 26 | Grundy Street | 0.0 km | |
| 27 | Burnage Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 28 | East Didsbury Metrolink Stop | 0.0 km | |
| 29 | Tesco | 0.0 km | |
| 30 | Didsbury Cricket Club | 0.0 km | |
| 31 | Fletcher Moss | 0.0 km | |
| 32 | Beaver Road Junior School | 0.0 km | |
| 33 | Grange Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 34 | Didsbury Village | 0.0 km | |
| 35 | Didsbury Library | 0.0 km | |
| 36 | Belfield Road | 0.0 km | |
| 37 | Lapwing Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 38 | Westholme Road | 0.0 km | |
| 39 | Oak Road | 0.0 km | |
| 40 | The Christie | 0.0 km | |
| 41 | Withington St Paul’s | 0.0 km | |
| 42 | Withington Library | 0.0 km | |
| 43 | Derby Road | 0.0 km | |
| 44 | Granville Road | 0.0 km | |
| 45 | Friendship Inn | 0.0 km | |
| 46 | Cawdor Road | 0.0 km | |
| 47 | Langley Road | 0.0 km | |
| 48 | Grangethorpe Road | 0.0 km | |
| 49 | Platt Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 50 | Grandale Street | 0.0 km | |
| 51 | Dagenham Road | 0.0 km | |
| 52 | St Mary’s | 0.0 km | |
| 53 | Manchester Royal Infirmary | 0.0 km | |
| 54 | University of Manchester | 0.0 km | |
| 55 | University Shopping Centre | 0.0 km | |
| 56 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 0.0 km | |
| 57 | Chester Street | 0.0 km | |
| 58 | Dickinson Street | 0.0 km | |
| 59 | Dickinson Street | 0.0 km | |
| 60 | Charlotte Street | 0.0 km | |
| 61 | Piccadilly Gardens | 0.0 km | Terminus |
Schedule and frequency
According to the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the route runs 27 trips in one direction on a weekday, and 9 on a weekend day.
| Direction | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| From «Piccadilly Gardens» | 05:40 — 23:15 | 10:10 — 18:10 |
| From «Thornley Lane» | 06:18 — 22:45 | 09:42 — 18:42 |
Frequency calculated from the departure table: in the morning peak buses run every 30–43 minutes, most often every 39; midday every 30 minutes; in the afternoon peak every 36; 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 42A 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 05:40 and the last at 23:15. From Thornley Lane they are 06:18 and 22:45.
How long does the trip from Piccadilly Gardens to Thornley Lane take?
About 67 minutes end to end — the median of full trips in the official schedule.
How many stops does the route have?
62 outbound and 61 inbound according to the official GTFS feed. The two lists do not match exactly.
Does bus 42A run on weekends?
Yes. On weekends and holidays there are 9 trips in one direction, running from Piccadilly Gardens between 10:10 and 18:10.
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)).