First Bus and Combined Authority complete further £11.2m upgrade at Bramley depot
- Total investment and co-funding from Department for Transport Zebra scheme exceeds £40m
- Extra 22 electric buses brings zero emission fleet to 79 – half Bramley total
First Bus and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) have completed a further £11.2m investment in the operator’s Bramley depot which makes half the fleet zero emission.
The last of an additional 22 double-decker electric buses (EV) have now entered service, increasing the total at the depot to 79. This further investment builds on a transformation of the depot with power charging infrastructure and EVs unveiled earlier this year.
WYCA with support from First Bus successfully secured £3.4m in a ‘variation request’ from the Department for Transport (DfT) Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund to expand the depot electrification combined with £7.8m from First Bus, announced in May 2024.
This brings the total ZEBRA funding and First Bus investment at Bramley to more than £40m and has created the largest fleet of zero emission buses in West Yorkshire.
The announcement came as councillors for the Armley Ward, Lou Cunningham and Andy Parnham visited the depot to see the final EVs entering service.
Commenting on the success of the overall project and funding support, Deputy Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, Cllr Peter Carlill said: “We have come a long way in the past couple of years on this, and I’m thrilled that West Yorkshire can now boast dozens of electric buses being run from this depot.
“We look forward to continuing to work with operators to bring in electric buses serving the whole of West Yorkshire.
“This reflects our plans to create a better-connected and greener West Yorkshire, and these changes will help boost air quality, improve public transport and help us tackle the climate emergency.”
Green skills and support for community
John Roxburgh, Head of Operations for First Bus in North & West Yorkshire, hosted the councillors on the tour with Head of Engineering, Craig Brown, depot Operations Manager, Kevin Lowe and Steve Thorpe, Stakeholder Relationship Manager for First Bus UK.
John said: “It was a pleasure to show councillors what our team together with suppliers has achieved with the depot transformation and the introduction of our EV fleet. This will play an important part in skilled green jobs for the future and supporting the wider community.
“It is yet more evidence of our continuing successful partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority in bringing major improvements to bus services, supporting a shared ambition for a net-zero transport system and reducing carbon emissions in the city.”
Cllr Parnham said: “ I am impressed by the First Bus leadership team's determination to employ electric vehicles and modern technology as a means of improving passenger comfort, safety, and reliability to both existing customers and for new bus users. By working in partnership, we can make this fantastic electric bus fleet the go-to mode for vehicle journeys within Leeds and beyond.”
EV fleet saving close to 6,000 tonnes of CO2e a year
The fleet of 79 electric buses are manufactured by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland with features including audio visual next stop technology and USB charging points.
Each bus saves around 75 tonnes of CO2e a year, making a total reduction of almost 6,000 tonnes of carbon annually.
“We’re seeing a positive reaction from customers to the electric buses and believe they will attract more people to consider bus travel by realising the real impact this has in reducing congestion and creating cleaner air and quieter streets,” added John Roxburgh.
Picture caption:
Image 01 & 18: Cllrs Parnham and Cunningham with John Roxburgh (centre), Craig Brown (right) and Steve Thorpe.
Image 3: Craig Brown (right) with Cllrs Cunningham and Parnham.
Image 20: John Roxburgh (left) with Kevin Lowe, Craig Brown and Cllrs Parnham and Cunningham.
Image 23 & 25: Cllrs Cunningham and Parnham inspect the new electric buses.
Ends
Notes to editors
Media enquiries to Richard Harrison, PR Manager, First Bus North & West Yorkshire 07973 668116 richard.m.harrison@firstbus.co.uk
About First Bus
At First Bus, we’re on a mission to grow bus usage – so we’ll get behind initiatives that move people out of cars and onto the bus.
We’re one of the UK’s largest bus operators, transporting more than a million customers a day. We serve over 20% of the population of Great Britain with our local bus services, and over half of the UK’s top 15 most populated urban areas.
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We’re passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, which is why we’re helping local businesses to progress their own decarbonisation journeys – giving them access to our charging hubs while our buses are on the road.
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