Stuart Vallantine, Dukinfield, UK - The History of the 343

Introduction

I would probably be a little biased about this bus route, being my favourite one for years. Thanks to having family members on this route, I was introduced to the scenery between Stalybridge and Mossley. Back in 1984, when I started gaining an interest in public transport, this was how I gained competence in using the Greater Manchester bus network.

The 343: Oldham - Mossley - Hyde

Started life as the 4A route in the 1950s by SHMD, introduced to serve the then new housing estate in Winterford Road, Micklehurst, complementing the 4 route via Staley Road;
Renumbered 343 by SELNEC during the 1973 - 74 renumbering scheme;
Extended from Mossley Brookbottom to Oldham in 1980 by Greater Manchester Transport, absorbing the 416 route;
Daytime service withdrawn by First Manchester, April 2007: now operated by Speedwell Bus (January 2008).

The 344: Mossley (Brookbottom) - Hyde - Gee Cross

Originally a tram route before conversion to bus operations resulted in becoming the 4 bus route;
Renumbered 344 by SELNEC during the 1973 - 74 renumbering scheme;
Relegated to peak hours only service during deregulation in October 1986;
Withdrawn in November 1992, following closure of Tameside garage: number now used for circular route from Hyde to Gee Cross and single journey via Waterhead to Hyde (April 2004 to present day).

Early days

The 343 started life as an additional service (the 4A) to SHMD's number 4 route in the 1950s, to serve the Winterford Road estate in Micklehurst. Its sister route had its roots in the SHMD tram service from Hyde (Mottram Road) to Mossley (Brookbottom), running via the then new Waterloo Road in Stalybridge.

With the route virtually unchanged, the tram service was converted to bus operation by the late 1930s. Further journeys were added to serve Gee Cross (Grapes Hotel). By then, the number 4 linked the cotton mills of Hyde, Dukinfield, Stalybridge and Mossley, a role the 4A would also perform by the 1950s.

SELNEC Southern 4A to Greater Manchester Transport 343

By the 1st November 1969, SHMD were no more, with operations transferring to the Stalybridge district of the newly formed SELNEC PTE Southern division. The result saw SHMD's green and cream livery disappear in place of their Sunglow orange and Mancunian white livery. By 1972, service revisions saw the 4 and 4A route combining to create a basic frequency of every 20 minutes.

The following year saw further restructuring, with the Southern division abolished, in line with the SELNEC Northern, Central and Cheshire districts (the latter a result of acquiring North Western Road Car Company services within the SELNEC). The other major event was SELNEC's renumbering exercise, designed to avoid duplication across the SELNEC operating area.

Buses within the Ashton and Stalybridge areas were allocated numbers between 330 and 355. As a result, the numbers 4A and 4 were renumbered 343 and 344.

The SELNEC name was consigned to history in 1974, following the Conservative government's restructuring of local government, which saw Stalybridge and Mossley become part of the new Greater Manchester County. As a consequence, SELNEC became Greater Manchester Transport on the 1st April 1974, and the Ashton and Stalybridge divisions were merged to become the Tameside division of GMT. This was in line with the formation of Tameside MBC.

Three years later, both Stalybridge and Ashton garages were closed, thanks to the opening of a new garage on Whitelands Road, housing 180 buses. This was the first new depot for Greater Manchester Transport.

Mossley area restructuring

The 20th July 1980 saw a radical restructuring of bus services in the Mossley area. One result of this was the withdrawal of Mossley to Oldham service 416. This was replaced by an extended 343 service. The 1981 timetable saw a basic half hourly frequency - exclusive of peak period extra journeys - between Hyde and Mossley, with the Oldham service running hourly.

Within the last 15 years up to 1982, the daytime frequency was halved. Sunday services ran to a basic hourly frequency from Hyde to Mossley, with a two hourly extension to Oldham. By 1985, the full Oldham to Hyde route changed to an hourly frequency. This was to change by the 26th October 1986, when GMT became GM Buses, a PTE owned limited company in a commercial environment.

Deregulation and privatisation

The last twenty one years up to April 2007 saw further contraction of the 343's timetable. The bulk of which affected peak hour journeys and odd journeys in early mornings and late evenings. For a brief period from October 1986, the basic Oldham - Hyde Sunday journeys were augmented by a Stalybridge - Carrbrook part route journeys, operated with minibuses.

The early 1990s saw evening journeys previously operated by GM Buses taken over by independent companies. By 1991, evening journeys were operated by Hyde based Tame Valley Motor Services, using ex-GMT Leyland Atlanteans. Sunday services continued to be operated by GM Buses. In March 1992, its sister route, the 344 was extended to Oldham. Sadly, this was not to last, as the 344 was withdrawn in November the same year.

At this point, the daytime service was re-routed in Oldham from Lees Road to Greenacres Road (evenings and Sundays), and Huddersfield Road via Waterhead in the daytimes. Between Stalybridge and Micklehurst, the route was diverted to call at Carrbrook village, turning left or right at the Buckton Castle pub, enroute to Hyde or Oldham.

By December 1993, GM Buses was split into three companies (including Charterplan, which was sold to East Yorkshire Motor Services). Operating from Oldham, Bury, Wigan and Bolton depots was GM Buses North, who continued to operate the bulk of the 343 service. Serving the area south of Ashton-under-Lyne was GMS Buses, who operated the Sunday service, using former Little Gem minibuses. At that point, Glossopdale took over the weekday evening service, with modern two tone green minibuses.

After two and a quarter years of being management owned companies, both GM Buses North and GMS Buses were sold to bus owning groups. March 1996 saw Stagecoach Holdings taking over GMS Buses, with FirstBus following suit a month after with GM Buses North.

By 1998, Stagecoach Manchester (GMS Buses) took over Glossopdale, retaining and repainting its modern minibuses. This time, single deckers and double deckers became de rigeur, with Glossop depot taking the bulk of the former Glossopdale vehicles. Stagecoach Manchester had a monopoly on both the evening and Sunday service.

This was to change three years later in February 2001. First Manchester became the sole operator of the 343. Daytime services were operated from Oldham depot, with evening and Sunday services operating from Dukinfield depot (acquired via First Pennine in 2000).

The Wilderness Years

Despite the re-introduction of bank holiday services by FirstGroup in 2002, and aggressive marketing of the company's day saver tickets, the 343 was in a state of limbo. With secondhand double deckers from other FirstGroup companies, the route appeared to have been careworn and forgotten about.

Between 2002 and 2007, the route was subject to re-routing with re-timing revisions legion. A 2002 experiment saw the 343 operating half hourly between Oldham and Waterhead. In 2004, the daytime service reverted to its pre deregulation route via Lees Road. In that same year, the 0745 journey from Oldham to Hyde was renumbered 344 - taking the road to Waterhead rather than Lees.

For the latter part of 2004, road works in Grotton and Mossley saw the 343 diverted via Greenfield - through Grasscroft and Roaches, before re-emerging at Mossley railway station.

The end of an era?

On the 31st January 2007, an announcement in the Manchester Evening News created shockwaves among bus users in the Greater Manchester area. Instead of the low profile approach, the conurbation's biggest bus company decided to announce its service revisions months in advance. This announcement publicly stated six routes, proposed for withdrawal or revision.

Of the six routes affected, two of them were in the Tameside area: the 387 and the 343. The demise of the latter would have had the most adverse implications, with the potential loss of a more direct Oldham - Mossley route. The changes, proposed for the first week of the school summer term would have had adverse effects on school travel with increased journey times and changes.

To raise awareness of this, flyers were printed for distribution on the 343 and 387 services, stating their intentions. This resulted in a meeting with First and the local authorities on the 16th February 2007.

Speedwell takes over

With the daytime service of the 343 doomed to demise, a meeting with GMPTE in late March 2007 saw the route saved at the eleventh hour. The saviour came in the form of Hyde based company Speedwell Bus.

The last year saw the fledgling company make inroads into the Tameside area running subsidised services into Uppermill, Glossop and Dukinfield. On the 17th April 2007, Speedwell Bus took over daytime operations of the 343 - maintaining not only Dukinfield's link with Mossley and Stalybridge, but also Oldham. The replacement of FirstGroup's Barbie liveried single and double deckers with Speedwell's modern minibuses has seen improved passenger loadings.

With the company sharing the 419 service [Ashton - Middleton] with First Manchester, Speedwell has augmented its modern fleet with some well turned out - though older - Dennis Dart single deckers.

First Manchester's contribution to the 343 route are the evening, Sunday and bank holiday services, which they have operated since February 2001. In addition to this are two weekday peak journeys from Oldham to Mossley (Brookbottom).

All change?

In spite of increased loadings, the route was put out to tender for 2008. Speedwell's daytime service was originally scheduled for withdrawal by the 23rd December 2007. With this decision about to cause hardship among Christmas shoppers and workers during the Yuletide, this was extended to the 26th January 2008. The tender attracted a lot of interest from other local operators around the Oldham and Tameside.

To the relief of its regular users, Speedwell Bus won the tender, retaining the Monday to Saturday 343 service, and the single 344 journey. Though withdrawn in November 1992, the 344 route between Mossley Brookbottom and Hyde will make a comeback - in the form as Speedwell's version of the 343 service. The result of the tender will see their journeys routed via Staley Road rather than Winterford Road (which at present sees regular services on the 350 route).

All journeys on the 343, from the 27th January 2008 will be subsidised with the support of GMPTE. The reason is due to the amount of unique links the route serves. For example, without the 343, travel to Mossley from Carrbrook would require changing at Stalybridge or Ashton - adding a further three miles to a journey which is half that distance.