On Wednesday 16th September, I made the trip over to Leigh to visit the local bus station and, as always, to bring you along with me for another bus station blog post. One of the things I really enjoy about doing these visits is that even though bus stations can sometimes look quite similar from the outside, each one has its own layout, character and little details that make it different from the last. Slowly but surely, I’m working my way around the United Kingdom, trying to visit as many bus stations as possible, as well as continuing my much bigger challenge of visiting every single railway station too. I know that these challenges are going to take me many years, and probably a lifetime, to complete, but that’s part of what makes them so enjoyable for me. There’s something really satisfying about being able to tick another station off the list, explore somewhere I may not have visited before and then come home with plenty to talk about and share with you. So, on this visit, I wanted to see what Leigh Bus Station was like for myself, have a proper look around, take in the layout and facilities, see which buses and operators use the station, and give you my honest first impressions of the place. So, with that said, let’s take a look at Leigh Bus Station and see what I found during my visit!

Compared with some of the other bus stations and interchanges I’ve visited around Greater Manchester, I found the layout of Leigh Bus Station to be much more simplistic. The bus station is fairly straightforward, with its roads running in a more traditional, straight-line layout and relatively basic shelters for passengers waiting for their buses. When you compare this with places such as Stockport, Altrincham and even Eccles, those interchanges have a slightly more modern and inviting feel, with more enclosed areas where passengers can escape from the elements. That can make a big difference during the colder and wetter months, especially when you’re standing around waiting for a bus in the rain, strong winds or even snow. Leigh doesn’t quite offer that same level of shelter, but I think there is something to be said for its simplicity, and personally, I rather like it for what it is.

What makes Leigh particularly interesting to me is that, unlike some of the larger interchanges across Greater Manchester, it doesn’t have a railway station or Metrolink tram connection directly alongside it. Instead, one of its main transport links is the guided busway, which I actually travelled along between Manchester and Leigh during this trip. I really enjoyed being able to experience the busway for myself, as it gives Leigh a slightly different connection to the wider Greater Manchester transport network. The bus station also feels like an important gateway between Greater Manchester and Merseyside, with services running towards places such as St Helens and Wigan, providing connections from the Liverpool City Region towards the outskirts of Greater Manchester. For me, that makes Leigh more than just a local bus station — it’s also a useful point for exploring further afield by bus.

Let’s now take a closer look at the routes and layout of Leigh Bus Station itself. One of the main services from Leigh is the V1, which connects Leigh with Manchester via the Leigh–Ellenbrook Guided Busway. I was particularly interested in this service as I travelled along the guided busway myself during this trip, giving me the chance to experience one of Leigh’s most interesting transport links. The V1 continues into Manchester, serving destinations including Manchester Royal Infirmary and the University of Manchester.

However, the V1 is only one of many services operating from Leigh Bus Station, with buses also running towards St Helens, Wigan, Bolton, Warrington, the Trafford Centre and various smaller towns and villages across the surrounding area. The 34, for example, provides a connection between Leigh and St Helens via Newton-le-Willows, while other services head towards Wigan and places such as Hindley and Platt Bridge. There are also services towards Bolton and Horwich, giving passengers plenty of options for travelling around the local area without needing a train or tram. I think this is what makes Leigh Bus Station particularly interesting, as despite not having a railway or Metrolink connection, it still provides a wide range of connections across Greater Manchester and towards Merseyside.

The main operator at Leigh Bus Station is Go North West, running Bee Network services including the V1 and V2 guided busway routes, which provide important links between Leigh, Atherton, Tyldesley and Manchester, while Stagecoach also operates from Leigh with the 34 connecting the town to St Helens via Earlestown and Newton-le-Willows, giving passengers another useful cross-regional route linking Leigh with several towns in Merseyside and the wider North West; I’ve now visited around 28 bus stations across the UK, with plenty more still to explore, and although this is a smaller challenge than my aim to visit every railway station in the country, I’m really enjoying discovering each station, looking at its layout, seeing which operators and routes use it, and sharing my first impressions with you, as every bus station has its own character, whether it is a busy transport hub or a smaller interchange serving the surrounding area, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series and seeing where the next visit takes me.

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Leigh Bus Station and, while it may not be the most modern or impressive bus station I’ve visited so far, I think its simplicity is part of its charm and it certainly serves an important purpose for the local area. With buses heading in so many different directions, including towards Manchester, St Helens, Wigan, Bolton and beyond, there’s plenty to see and explore here, and I’m glad I took the time to come over and have a proper look around. Another bus station has now been added to my ever-growing list, and I’m already looking forward to the next one. My next post will hopefully take me to Earlestown Bus Station, before I head further out towards Skelmersdale, so there are plenty more bus station adventures still to come. I hope you’ve enjoyed coming along with me to Leigh and, as always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences of the bus stations I’ve been visiting!