Bus 86 in Manchester links Piccadilly Gardens and Ashfield Road. The route is 0.0 km long with 39 stops, and the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) puts the full trip at about 38 minutes. On a weekday it runs 88 trips in one direction, and 44 on a weekend day.
Route at a glance
| Mode | Bus |
|---|---|
| Route number | 86 |
| City | Manchester |
| Operator | Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) |
| Start → end | Piccadilly Gardens → Ashfield Road |
| End → start | Ashfield Road → Piccadilly Gardens |
| Route length | 0.0 km / 0.0 km in the opposite direction |
| Number of stops | 39 / 33 in the opposite direction |
| Travel time | about 38 minutes |
| Trips per day | 88 on weekdays, 44 on weekends one way (94 on weekdays → Piccadilly Gardens) |
| Frequency | peak 8–20 · midday 12 · weekend 20–30 |
| First / last trip from «Piccadilly Gardens» | 00:04 / 23:49 |
| First / last trip from «Ashfield Road» | 04:58 / 23:34 |
| Fare | 2.00 £ (fare in effect since 5 January 2025) |
| Updated | August 22, 2026 |
Route of Bus 86
Outbound: Piccadilly Gardens → Ashfield Road
This direction has 39 stops. The route passes Charlotte Street, Westerley Slip Road, Sylvan Avenue, Ryebank Road. 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 | Hart Street | 0.0 km | |
| 4 | Palace Theatre | 0.0 km | |
| 5 | Oxford Road Station | 0.0 km | |
| 6 | Oxford House | 0.0 km | |
| 7 | Aquatics Centre | 0.0 km | |
| 8 | Royal Northern College of Music | 0.0 km | |
| 9 | Cambridge Street | 0.0 km | |
| 10 | Upper Medlock Street | 0.0 km | |
| 11 | Westerley Slip Road | 0.0 km | |
| 12 | Royce Road | 0.0 km | |
| 13 | Phoenix Way | 0.0 km | |
| 14 | Old Birley Street | 0.0 km | |
| 15 | Loreto College | 0.0 km | |
| 16 | Chichester Road | 0.0 km | |
| 17 | Chorlton Road | 0.0 km | |
| 18 | Brook’s Bar | 0.0 km | |
| 19 | Kings Road | 0.0 km | |
| 20 | Sylvan Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 21 | Wood Road | 0.0 km | |
| 22 | College Road | 0.0 km | |
| 23 | Woodside Road | 0.0 km | |
| 24 | Clarendon Road West | 0.0 km | |
| 25 | Kensington Road | 0.0 km | |
| 26 | Warwick Road | 0.0 km | |
| 27 | Brundretts Road | 0.0 km | |
| 28 | Maidstone Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 29 | Ryebank Road | 0.0 km | |
| 30 | Longford Park | 0.0 km | |
| 31 | Norwood Road | 0.0 km | |
| 32 | Stretford Metrolink Stop | 0.0 km | |
| 33 | Stretford Mall | 0.0 km | |
| 34 | Chapel Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 35 | Poplar Road | 0.0 km | |
| 36 | Crossford Bridge | 0.0 km | |
| 37 | Dane Road | 0.0 km | |
| 38 | Chapel Road | 0.0 km | |
| 39 | Ashfield Road | 0.0 km | Terminus |
Inbound: Ashfield Road → Piccadilly Gardens
This direction has 33 stops. The route passes Aldermary Road, Warwick Road, Sylvan Avenue, Ormsgill Street. The full list of stops in order is below.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princess Road | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Aldermary Road | 0.0 km | |
| 3 | Barlow Hall Road | 0.0 km | |
| 4 | Manchester Crematorium | 0.0 km | |
| 5 | Barlow Moor Road Metrolink Stop | 0.0 km | |
| 6 | Cundiff Road | 0.0 km | |
| 7 | Chorlton Bus Station | 0.0 km | |
| 8 | Groby Road | 0.0 km | |
| 9 | Warwick Road | 0.0 km | |
| 10 | Chorlton Library | 0.0 km | |
| 11 | Kensington Road | 0.0 km | |
| 12 | Clarendon Road West | 0.0 km | |
| 13 | Woodside Road | 0.0 km | |
| 14 | College Road | 0.0 km | |
| 15 | Wood Road | 0.0 km | |
| 16 | Sylvan Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 17 | Kings Road | 0.0 km | |
| 18 | Brook’s Bar | 0.0 km | |
| 19 | Chorlton Road | 0.0 km | |
| 20 | Moss Lane West | 0.0 km | |
| 21 | Loreto College | 0.0 km | |
| 22 | Old Birley Street | 0.0 km | |
| 23 | Ormsgill Street | 0.0 km | |
| 24 | Royce Road | 0.0 km | |
| 25 | Epping Street | 0.0 km | |
| 26 | Cambridge Street | 0.0 km | |
| 27 | Royal Northern College of Music | 0.0 km | |
| 28 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 0.0 km | |
| 29 | Chester Street | 0.0 km | |
| 30 | Dickinson Street | 0.0 km | |
| 31 | Dickinson Street | 0.0 km | |
| 32 | Charlotte Street | 0.0 km | |
| 33 | Piccadilly Gardens | 0.0 km | Terminus |
Schedule and frequency
According to the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the route runs 88 trips in one direction on a weekday, and 44 on a weekend day.
| Direction | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| From «Piccadilly Gardens» | 00:04 — 23:49 | 06:46 — 23:27 |
| From «Ashfield Road» | 04:58 — 23:34 | 06:16 — 23:04 |
Frequency calculated from the departure table: in the morning peak buses run every 8–20 minutes, most often every 10; midday every 12 minutes; in the afternoon peak every 12; on weekends every 20–30 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 86 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 00:04 and the last at 23:49. From Ashfield Road they are 04:58 and 23:34.
How long does the trip from Piccadilly Gardens to Ashfield Road take?
About 38 minutes end to end — the median of full trips in the official schedule.
How many stops does the route have?
39 outbound and 33 inbound according to the official GTFS feed. The two lists do not match exactly.
Does bus 86 run on weekends?
Yes. On weekends and holidays there are 44 trips in one direction, running from Piccadilly Gardens between 06:46 and 23:27.
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)).