A University of Manchester (UoM) deal with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) means that the free 41 bus service is back for one year, starting August 3rd.
The 41 runs from Sale to Middleton, linking Fallowfield, the University, Piccadilly Gardens, and Victoria Station along the way.
According to a UoM StaffNet post, the bus can be used free of charge between Manchester Victoria and Campus (and vice versa) for students, staff, and Students’ Union (SU) colleagues, who must show proof of university or SU ID when boarding.
The stops are: Campus (outside the Students’ Union) and Corporation Street (outside Manchester Victoria).
Fallowfield Campus, which the 41 bus also passes through, is outside the free zone.
The decision to make the service free comes after it was trialled between May and July 2026.
The service will now operate alongside 147, an existing free service between Campus and Manchester Piccadilly, which The Mancunion previously described as ‘the underdog of the Bee Network’.
In their announcement, UoM said that the free 41 service had been introduced as part of their sustainable travel plan, which is committed to making it ‘easier and more efficient to travel to campus’ whilst also reducing carbon emissions.
The university also noted that the cost of living crisis for students was a factor that contributed to their push to make the 41 free. The service will help students, staff, and SU colleagues save up to £4 a day on a return journey, UoM said.
