During its history it has served several places no longer on the present route, including Bury and the Trafford Centre.

[5] A further change in 2000 saw the northern end of route X43 rerouted to avoid Barnoldswick, prompting some criticism from local residents.

[25] In April 2023, Pendle Wizz was replaced by the introduction of service M6 – an expansion to Burnley's Mainline bus network.

The service makes use of both the M60 and M66 motorways, and connects two notable educational establishments: Alder Grange Community and Technology School and Burnley College.

In 1982 a small number were branded for the route, using the name Timesaver and the tagline Regular Motorway service.

[1] In 1984 the route was converted to double-deck operation using new Leyland Olympians painted in a unique white and blue livery with Timesaver branding.

Four Leyland Tiger coaches in a yellow and red livery also using the Timesaver name, arrived a year later.

The route branding was replaced by Stagecoach's corporate image of white with red, orange and blue stripes following their takeover of Ribble Motor Services in 1989.

The route was marketed as The Mancunian, with the Olympians carrying the name alongside Stagecoach corporate livery.

[9][29] In August 2005, the route was again re-launched alongside its new brand identity – "The Witch Way" – with 16 new Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TLs entering service.

These buses carried a red, grey and black livery dedicatedly branded for the route and were installed with high-specification interiors, including coach-style leather seats.

Additionally, the new vehicles debuted the introduction of free WiFi, which allows passengers to connect to the internet during their journey.

[30][31] On 13 December 2020, a brand new fleet of 14 Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC double-deck vehicles were introduced to the route.

These buses are fitted to the company's Sky Class specification, and are dedicatedly branded for the route in a two-tone orange and black livery.

By the 1970s frequency had declined to a southbound morning and northbound evening peak working, but it survived to be renumbered 753 when X43 became 743.

A variation of the route operating via the Rossendale Valley between Rawtenstall and Burnley was introduced in 2002, taking the number X45.

[13] In early 2002, route X43 journeys which extended beyond Manchester to the Trafford Centre were renumbered to X42 to distinguish them from the short workings.

This allowed commuters and shoppers to travel to/from Manchester with the service running several journeys during the day Mondays to Saturdays.