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Season ticket loans

Season ticket loans

General information

The University can provide eligible employees with an interest free Season Ticket Loan to enable the purchase of public transport annual season tickets.  For even greater savings some transport operators offer special discounts to University employees.

Since the pandemic and the introduction of hybrid ways of working, a number of travel providers have introduced more flexible ticketing options. These may be more affordable for staff only on campus for a few days a week. Visit providers' websites below for more information to find out the best options for you.

You can access free travel on the 147 bus between north and south campus.

Bee Network - Latest news

Message from Stagecoach - 17th January 2024

From the 24th of March, the Stagecoach megarider will not be accepted on Bee Network services but can still be used on Stagecoach services in and around Manchester. North Manchester will be under Bee Network from that date; any customers travelling from the Middleton, Moston or Harpurhey areas for example, will not be able to use their Megarider. 

If employees do find that the services they use are no longer accepting the tickets they will of course be entitled to a refund of the remaining value of the ticket. 

From the 5th of January 2025, Stagecoach will transition in the Bee Network as a whole and the annual Megarider will no longer be available. Any new sales and renewals will be pro rata'd to reflect the expiry date of January 4th 2025.

Any refund requests should be directed to: manchester.sales@stagecoachbus.com

For further information on the Bee Network.

How the scheme works

You can apply for a bus, tram, train or “County Bus “ annual season ticket and the University will purchase it on your behalf. You then repay the cost of the ticket by monthly instalments directly from your salary.

How to qualify for a season ticket loan

You must be a salaried member of the University, paid monthly through the payroll system and have a payroll number.  Season tickets must be for one year.  The maximum value of the loan available is £2,820 or 5% of gross annual salary (whichever is the greater). Applications are subject to individual approval.

How to apply (Rail)

  1. For current prices please check the National Rail Season Ticket Calculator.
  2. If you travel within Greater Manchester a GM Traincard may be the best option.
  3. Northern Rail can organise ANY season ticket for you, whether inside or outside their network or a GM Traincard.
  4. Please read the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme and then complete the online form.

Tram travel with Metrolink

Summary of scheme

Please read this online guide for general information on the scheme and prices.

Detailed guide for employees who wish to apply

  1. The employee will need to follow the step-by-step guide and set up their own account at www.getmethere.com
  2. The employee will then receive an email and must follow the instructions to validate their account; 
  3. The corporate application form will need to be filled out along with the Season Ticket Loan Application. The declaration section will then be signed by HR Services and scanned to your email.
  4. The relevant paperwork will then be sent to the employee in regards to monthly deductions; this will need to be signed and dated.
  5. The employee uploads the completed corporate application form and their photo to the website which orders the corporate get me there card.
  6. The get me there card will be posted to the individual's home address. Once the employee receives their corporate get me there card in the post, the smart ticket can be collected from the smart readers situated at a Metrolink stop.
  7. The smart card must be presented to the smart reader to ‘touch in’ and ‘touch out’ for each journey made.

Further information

Please contact People & OD Operations at people-od.operations@manchester.ac.uk or 0161 275 4499.