Manchester is the UK’s best connected city, according to new data

From high-speed internet accessibility to transportation infrastructure – new data reveals Manchester is the best connected city in the UK.

With concerts to attend, sporting events, an excellent culinary scene, top nightlife and surrounding rural beauty spots, it’s no wonder Manchester keeps on top of being connected.

Data collected by Transport for Wales has uncovered the top cities fostering seamless connectivity nationwide, along with the worst connected, too.

After experts reviewed 30 cities and analysed data including bus stops per capita, train stations per capita, 5G coverage and full fibre availability, Manchester was crowned the best connected city in the UK. 

Reviewing the UK transport system, many would have probably predicted that the capital London would be the most connected city across the nation. 

Instead, it was our city that took the top spot thanks to having two train stations per 10,00 of the population, while 99% of the outdoor premises had full 5G coverage. 

According to TfW, this is so important to the UK population who often rely on UK trains to get them places, whether that’s for work, to visit friends or for weekends away.  

And of course it probably comes as no surprise as Manchester has so many things to do, making it an amazing place to book a staycation. 

Visitors come to the city to sample its amazing food offerings, rich culture, and bustling nightlife – not to mention its excellent connectivity to the rest of the UK, including the coveted Peak District.

Surprisingly, the analysis also reveals Brighton is the worst-connected city in the UK. Despite being renowned for its arts, culture and nightlife, it scores low in terms of train stations per 10,000 of population and 5G coverage which is something to bear in mind if travelling via rail or bus. 

London, the capital city, is also quite low down considering the size of the city, scoring extremely low on bus stops per capita.

Wales also got a few mentions on the index, with Wrexham having the most bus stops per capita, with a huge 341 bus stops per 10,000 of the population. Cardiff also came in 8th on the most connected cities in the UK index, with an overall score of 77.6. 

Speaking on the importance of connectivity throughout the UK, transport expert Colin Lea from Transport for Wales, said: “Connectivity throughout the UK is increasingly more important, especially given changing ways of life post-pandemic. 

“For the UK public, knowing that they can get somewhere quickly and easily with excellent reliability across all modes of transport including rail and bus services, is of the utmost importance. Especially as we are hoping we all adopt more sustainable travel habits.

“Seeing destinations like Manchester and Cardiff make the top 10 most connected cities in the UK is important to us, as it shows we are making a difference with the services that we offer, such as our premier trains. “

“These run every two hours between Cardiff and Manchester with an excellent experience in standard class and a chef on board for first-class dining,” he added.

The best connected cities in the UK are:

1. Manchester
2. Nottingham
3. Glasgow
4. Southampton
5. Hull
6. Belfast
7. Coventry
8. Cardiff
9. Leeds
10. Wrexham

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