First Bus electrifies university routes as rollout of new zero emission buses continues
- 10 vehicles introduced on 66 and 67 services alongside campus shuttles
- £3m investment by First Bus
First Bus has completed the electrification of routes serving the corridor between the University of York, the train station and city centre in a multi-million pound investment in new zero emission buses.
The introduction of the final vehicle as students begin to return to studies makes a total of 10 electric double-deckers now operating on the 66 and 67 services together with shuttles between the campus sites.
The buses represent an investment of £3m by First Bus, which has also been supported with Government funding secured by City of York Council from the Department for Transport’s Zebra scheme.
Each bus will save up to 60 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.
Tom Donnelly, Operations Manager of First Bus in York, said: “This rollout of electric buses on the University services continues our green transport revolution across York. It is creating cleaner air and quieter streets around the campus and along routes to the train station.”
He added: “These buses are enhancing the journey experience for our customers with more comfort and on-board technology including wi-fi and USB charging to help people stay connected, a valuable feature for everyone and not least young people studying.”
A total of 53 new electric single and double-decker buses in the York Electric livery will eventually enter the First Bus fleet as the operator continues its transformation of the James Street depot to be fully electric. These will complement an existing fleet of 33 zero emission buses used on the Park & Ride network.
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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
First Bus is one of the UK’s largest bus operators. Making journeys easier for our customers, we were the first national bus operator to accept contactless card payments across all of our services and our First Bus App is voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators. Our most recent investments are in new, state-of-the-art buses across our key networks.
We work proactively with our local authority partners, making a positive impact on air quality, tackling congestion and improving customer experience. We are focused on First Bus becoming a leader in the transition to a low-carbon future and are committed to operating a zero emission bus fleet by 2035. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland.
First Bus is an equal opportunities employer and a division of FirstGroup.