Greater Manchester bus route 184

Greater Manchester bus route 184 is operated by First Greater Manchester. The service runs hourly Monday-Saturday daytime on its full route between Oldham and Huddersfield.
History
The service started as route 14 on 15 May 1929, running between Uppermill and Manchester and was operated by Oldham, Manchester & North Western. A couple of months later, route 13 (later re-numbered 183) was introduced running between Uppermill and Manchester via Delph, with journeys running as a 13 changing into a 14 at Uppermill and vice versa. Over the years, the service did not go through many changes to the service, with its only changes being the terminus in Manchester, using Lower Mosley Street, Parker Street, Chorlton Street and Piccadilly Gardens, and the name of the operator, which changed from North Western to SELNEC (during which was re-numbered to 184), and then to Greater Manchester Transport and to Greater Manchester Buses.
Following bus deregulation on 26 October 1986, the route was taken over by GM Buses. On 31 December 1993, GM Buses was split into two, GM Buses North and GM South Buses, the former of which became the main operator of route 184.
In March 1996, GM Buses North was bought by FirstBus and renamed Greater Manchester Firstbus, later becoming First Manchester and First Greater Manchester. In 2001, the service was extended from Uppermill to Diggle via Dobcross, replacing route 427, which was an all-stopping equivalent to route 184. The extension saw the end of the workings with route 183, which was extended to Greenfield to compensate for the loss. Another change originally planned was to reduce the number of buses per hour to Diggle by terminating one of the buses at nearby Dobcross, leaving Diggle to be served by the Huddersfield journeys. This decision was later reversed and the planned change was not implemented after local residents felt the changes would mean the services are too infrequent (especially the fact there would only be two buses an hour from Uppermill).
However, the reduction of service in Saddleworth was met by criticisms by local residents and councillors, who felt it was encourage more people to use the car instead of buses and would disrupts links between bus and train at Greenfield railway station.
In October 2019, the route was split into two sections with the Huddersfield to Oldham section covered by service 184, while buses between Uppermill, Grotton, Oldham and Manchester were re-numbered to 84. Sunday journeys would continue to run to Manchester Piccadilly bus would run as service 84 instead of 184. In March 2020, the service was suspended during the Coronavirus lockdown and was covered by a reduced timetable on service 84. In September 2020, service 184 was re-introduced between Huddersfield and Oldham but re-routed between Lees and Oldham to run via Greenacres instead of Lees Road.
Route
The service begins bus station before continuing via Greenacres, Lees, Grotton, Grasscroft into Uppermill. From there, he route runs via Wool Road and through Diggle before returning onto the A62 Manchester Road into West Yorkshire via Marsden, Slaithwaite, Linthwaite and Cowlersley before terminating at Huddersfield bus station. The service runs hourly Monday-Saturday daytime, while Sunday daytime journeys, which runs every two hours, runs as service 84.
Vehicles
The main type of vehicle used on First Greater Manchester journeys on route 184 are Alexander Dennis Enviro400s, which were acquired in 2012 and originally used for shuttle services at the London 2012 Olympics. They entered service in September 2012 with some being branded for the 180/184.
Volvo B9TL's, which were acquired in summer 2008, were previously the regular bus vehicle used on the route and its sister service, the 180 and sometimes may be used in place of Enviro400s. The other alternative vehicle used by First Greater Manchester on the route is Volvo B7RLE's, which were the previous prominent vehicle on the route and also had route branding.
In the latter years of First West Yorkshire's time on the service, B9TL's were also used on their workings of the 184, as two buses were obtained from First Greater Manchester to be primarily used on the 184, so that double deckers are used on all journeys, when possible. When either of both of the B9TLs are not available, then Volvo B7TLs were used on the route instead. Previously, Volvo B7RLEs, Volvo Olympians and Dennis Lances were used by First West Yorkshire on the 184.

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