Today’s winner on #AYearOfBuses is – well, we’re not going to lie – a real shoehorn. But we couldn’t finish this series without featuring Vantage, from First Manchester.
Though we gave the Vantage brand a kicking when it first launched, we’re not afraid to eat a huge slice of humble pie. There’s no denying that First Manchester’s routes along the Leigh guided busway have been a huge success since it opened in April 2016.
There are now four Vantage routes – V1, V2, V3 and V4, with the V1 and V2 running fast along the busway between Ellenbrook, Leigh and Atherton. All four link Salford with Manchester city centre and the MRI, along Oxford Road.
Their inception allowed First to make a series of network changes in the area soon after Vantage launched – with several previously fast or limited stop routes being binned in favour of those running along the guided busway.
