Greater Manchester bus route 409
{{notability|date=March 2025}}
{{Short description|Bus route in Manchester, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox bus line
|number = 409
|logo =
|image = BNSC 11254 R409.jpg
|image_width = 300
|caption = Bee Network branded Stagecoach Manchester Enviro400 MMC at Ashton-under-Lyne bus station in February 2025
|bgcolor = #F9DC68
|titlecolor =
|operator = Stagecoach Manchester
|garage = Middleton
Oldham
|vehicle = Volvo B5LH
Enviro400 MMC
Enviro400EV
|pvr =
|predecessors = First Manchester
|night =
|start = Ashton-under-Lyne bus station
|via = {{ubl|Hathershaw|Oldham|Royal Oldham Hospital}}
|end = Rochdale Interchange
|map = {{Greater Manchester bus route 409}}
|level = Daily
|frequency = 10-60 mins
}}
Greater Manchester bus route 409 is a Bee Network contracted bus route in Greater Manchester, England. Running between Ashton-under-Lyne bus station and Rochdale Interchange, it is operated by Stagecoach Manchester.
History
The 409 was originally a trolleybus service lanuched in the 1930s, operating between Ashton-under-Lyne and Oldham. From November 1969, the trolley bus route was numbered 9, operated by SELNEC as a joint service between Rochdale, Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne Corporations using conventional buses.{{cite web|url=https://mancunian1001.wordpress.com/2011/07/10/is-this-the-409-a-cloud-of-nines/?utm_source=chatgpt.com|title=Is This The 409? A Cloud of Nines|date=10 July 2011 }}
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the 409 route witnessed significant competition, especially following bus deregulation in 1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.selnec.org.uk/gmt_beyond.htm|title=Greater Manchester Transport And Beyond|publisher=The SELNEC Preservation Society|access-date=8 May 2009|archive-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128004649/http://www.selnec.org.uk/gmt_beyond.htm}} Operators such as Citibus and Mayne of Manchester introduced parallel services, including routes 419, 428, and 424, challenging the established 409. Additionally, companies like The Bee Line Buzz Company and Pennine Blue offered competing journeys along the same corridor. Despite this rivalry, the 409 maintained its prominence, withstanding various competitive pressures.{{cite web|url=https://mancunian1001.wordpress.com/2011/07/10/is-this-the-409-a-cloud-of-nines/?utm_source=chatgpt.com|title=Is This The 409? A Cloud of Nines|date=10 July 2011 }}
After that, GM Buses were split into GM Buses North and GM Buses South, which the former operated the 409.
In the early 2000s, First Manchester acquired the route, and become the sole operator of it until the launch of Trenche 2 Bee Network in 2024, this saw the route, with the operations of the First's Oldham depot, passed to Stagecoach Manchester.
Current route
The 409 serves the following locations:{{cite web |title=409 Ashton-under-Lyne - Hathershaw - Oldham - Royton - Rochdale|url=https://tfgm.com/travel-updates/live-departures/bus/409-ashton-under-lyne |publisher=Transport for Greater Manchester |access-date=26 August 2024}}
- Ashton-under-Lyne bus station{{rint|manchester}}{{rint|gb|bus}}{{rint|gb|rail}}
- Hathershaw
- Oldham{{rint|gb|bus}}
- Royal Oldham Hospital
- Rochdale Interchange {{rint|manchester}} {{rint|gb|bus}}