Bus route 42A in Manchester: Piccadilly Gardens ↔ Thornley Lane

Bus route 42A in Manchester goes from “Piccadilly Gardens” to “Thornley Lane”.

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Where bus 42A goes

Towards “Thornley Lane”: 62 stops. After “Piccadilly Gardens”, the bus calls at “Charlotte Street”, “Major Street”, “Palace Theatre”, “Oxford Road Station”, “Mancunian Way”, “Aquatics Centre”, “University Shopping Centre”, “University of Manchester”, “Manchester Royal Infirmary”, “St Mary’s”. Then “Dagenham Road”, “Grandale Street”, “Dickenson Road”, “Platt Fields Park”, “Grangethorpe Road”, “Old Hall Lane”, “Furness Road”, “Friendship Inn”, “Granville Road”, “Derby Road”. Then “Withington Library”, “Withington St Paul’s”, “The Christie”, “Oak Road”, “Westholme Road”, “Lapwing Lane”, “Belfield Road”, “Didsbury Library”, “Didsbury Village”, “Grange Lane”. Then “Beaver Road Junior School”, “Fletcher Moss”, “Didsbury Cricket Club”, “East Didsbury Station”, “East Didsbury Metrolink Stop”, “Burnage Lane”, “Grundy Street”, “Crown Inn”, “Didsbury Road”, “Fylde Road”. Then “Moorside Road”, “Moor Top”, “Cliff Grove”, “Shaw Road”, “Heaton Chapel Station”, “Wellington Road North”, “George & Dragon”, “Appleton Road”, “Broadstone Hall Road”, “Broadstone Mill”. Before “Thornley Lane”: “Sylvia Grove”, “Houldsworth Square”, “Higginson Road”, “Westbourne Grove”, “Christ Church”, “Mill Lane”, “Somers Road”, “Furnival Street”, “Brighton Avenue”, “Beresford Crescent”.

On the way back the bus takes a different route, from “Thornley Lane” to “Piccadilly Gardens” (60 stops). Only in this direction does it call at “Boscombe Street”, “Reddish Library”, “Sykes Street”, “Houldsworth Street”, “Briarfield Road”, “Thornfield Park”, “Mauldeth Road”, “Tesco”, “Cawdor Road”, “Langley Road”, “Platt Lane”, “Manchester Metropolitan University”, “Chester Street” and “Dickinson Street”. Only in the direction of “Thornley Lane” does it call at, among others, “Major Street”, “Palace Theatre”, “Oxford Road Station”, “Mancunian Way”, “Aquatics Centre” and “Dickenson Road”. For the way back, board nearby: “Major Street” → “Dickinson Street” (150 m), “Palace Theatre” → “Dickinson Street” (250 m), “Oxford Road Station” → “Chester Street” (100 m) and “Mancunian Way” → “Manchester Metropolitan University” (100 m). Towards “Thornley Lane”, board nearby: “Boscombe Street” → “Beresford Crescent” (100 m), “Reddish Library” → “Christ Church” (100 m), “Sykes Street” → “Higginson Road” (100 m) and “Houldsworth Street” → “Broadstone Mill” (150 m).

Connections

On part of the route, between “Piccadilly Gardens” and “Crown Inn” it shares the road with route 42; between “Piccadilly Gardens” and “East Didsbury Station” it shares the road with routes 42B and 142; between “Piccadilly Gardens” and “Withington Library” it shares the road with routes 41, 43 and 143.

Connections by stop, in route order:

• “Piccadilly Gardens”: buses 18, 33, 50, 59, 76, 76A, 76B, 81, 83, 84, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 112, 114, 117, 118, 119, 135, 182, 191, 192, 197, 203, 205, 231 and 256
• “Charlotte Street”: buses 18, 33, 50, 76, 76A, 76B, 81, 83, 84, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 112, 114, 117, 118, 119, 135, 147, 191, 192, 197, 203, 205, 231 and 256
• “Major Street” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): buses 18, 33, 50, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 114, 147, 191, 197 and 256
• “Palace Theatre” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): buses 18, 33, 50, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 114, 147, 191, 197 and 256
• “Oxford Road Station” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): buses 18, 33, 50, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 147, 191, 197 and 256
• “Mancunian Way” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): buses 18, 50, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 147, 191 and 197
• “Aquatics Centre” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): buses 18, 50, 53, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 147, 191 and 197
• “University Shopping Centre”: buses 18, 50, 53, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 147, 191 and 197
• “University of Manchester”: buses 18, 50, 53, 87, 103, 111, 147, 191 and 197
• “Manchester Royal Infirmary”: buses 18, 50, 53, 87, 111, 147, 191 and 197
• “St Mary’s”: buses 18, 53, 87, 111 and 147
• “Dagenham Road”: buses 53, 111 and 147
• “Grandale Street”: buses 53 and 147
• “Dickenson Road” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): buses 53 and 147
• “Platt Fields Park” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): buses 53 and 147
• “Grangethorpe Road”: bus 147
• “Old Hall Lane” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): bus 147
• “Furness Road” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): buses 147 and 150
• “Friendship Inn”: buses 147 and 150
• “Granville Road”: bus 147
• “Derby Road”: buses 25 and 147
• “Withington Library”: buses 25, 87, 111 and 147
• “Withington St Paul’s”: buses 87, 111 and 147
• “The Christie”: bus 147
• “Oak Road”: bus 147
• “Westholme Road”: bus 172
• “Lapwing Lane”: bus 172
• “Belfield Road”: buses 23, 171 and 172
• Stops from “Didsbury Library” to “Fletcher Moss”: buses 23 and 171
• “Didsbury Cricket Club”: buses 23, 50, 171 and 371
• “East Didsbury Station” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): buses 23, 50, 171 and 371
• “East Didsbury Metrolink Stop”: buses 23, 50, 171 and 371
• “Burnage Lane”: buses 23, 50 and 371
• “Grundy Street”: buses 23 and 371
• “Crown Inn”: buses 23 and 371
• “Didsbury Road” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): bus 23
• “Fylde Road” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): bus 23
• Stops from “Moorside Road” to “Cliff Grove”: buses 25 and 197
• “Shaw Road”: bus 25
• “Heaton Chapel Station”: buses 191 and 192
• “Wellington Road North”: buses 7, 191 and 192
• “George & Dragon”: buses 7, 191 and 192
• Stops from “Appleton Road” to “Broadstone Mill”: bus 7
• “Sylvia Grove”: buses 7 and 203
• “Houldsworth Square”: buses 7 and 203
• Stops from “Higginson Road” to “Christ Church” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): buses 7 and 203
• Stops from “Mill Lane” to “Furnival Street”: buses 7 and 203
• “Brighton Avenue”: bus 203
• “Beresford Crescent” (only towards “Thornley Lane”): bus 203
• “Thornley Lane”: bus 203
• “Boscombe Street” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): bus 203
• “Reddish Library” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): buses 7 and 203
• “Sykes Street” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): buses 7 and 203
• “Houldsworth Street” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): bus 7
• “Briarfield Road” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): bus 7
• “Thornfield Park” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): bus 197
• “Mauldeth Road” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): bus 23
• “Tesco” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): buses 23, 50, 171 and 371
• “Cawdor Road” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): buses 147 and 150
• “Langley Road” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): buses 147 and 150
• “Platt Lane” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): buses 53 and 147
• “Manchester Metropolitan University” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): buses 18, 50, 53, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 147, 191 and 197
• “Chester Street” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): buses 18, 50, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 147, 191 and 197
• “Dickinson Street” (only towards “Piccadilly Gardens”): buses 18, 33, 50, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 114, 191, 197 and 256

Pages for these routes: bus 7, bus 18, bus 23, bus 25, bus 33, bus 41, bus 42, bus 42B, bus 43, bus 50, bus 53, bus 59, bus 76, bus 76A, bus 76B, bus 81, bus 83, bus 84, bus 85, bus 85A, bus 86, bus 87, bus 103, bus 111, bus 112, bus 114, bus 117, bus 118, bus 119, bus 135, bus 142, bus 143, bus 147, bus 150, bus 171, bus 172, bus 182, bus 191, bus 192, bus 197, bus 203, bus 205, bus 231, bus 256, bus 371.

Passes and concessions

Tickets, passes and concessions are covered on a separate page: how to pay for public transport in Manchester.

Questions about bus 42A

Does bus 42A go to “University Shopping Centre”?

Yes, in both directions.

Where can I change from bus 42A to another bus route?

Most routes stop at “Piccadilly Gardens” (18, 33, 50, 59, 76, 76A, 76B, 81, 83, 84, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 112, 114, 117, 118, 119, 135, 182, 191, 192, 197, 203, 205, 231 and 256) and “Charlotte Street” (18, 33, 50, 76, 76A, 76B, 81, 83, 84, 85, 85A, 86, 87, 103, 111, 112, 114, 117, 118, 119, 135, 147, 191, 192, 197, 203, 205, 231 and 256). All other stops with connections are listed above.

Checked on 6 October 2026. Source of the route and stops: Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).