Stagecoach Group has announced an £80m order for new vehicles across England, Scotland and Wales.
Stagecoach Group announced on Monday 20 May that it has planned new vehicle orders worth more than £80m to help tackle the twin challenges of car congestion and air quality.
A new fleet of 351 cleaner, greener vehicles, will be introduced in the coming 2019-20 financial year as the company invests further in to improve services for customers in communities across the UK.
The new buses and coaches will be introduced in Stagecoach’s regional networks in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as on the company’s megabus.com network in the UK.
The planned orders include 48 electric buses which are being part-funded by the UK Government’s Green Bus Fund and – once orders are finalised – will go into service in Manchester and South Wales.
Virtually all of the new vehicles meet the Government’s Low Carbon Emission Bus specification, with a mixture of electric vehicle technology and the latest Euro VI emissions standard engines.
Most of the new vehicles are set to be built in the UK, helping to support hundreds of British manufacturing jobs and smaller businesses in the supply chain.
Around three quarters of the new vehicles will be fitted with audio visual display systems which provide next-stop information.
Each of the new vehicles will also be fitted with CCTV, and USB charging points, while most will also have WiFi installed, giving customers free internet access during their journeys.
The new vehicles are expected to go into service this year.
The latest investment includes 131 low-floor double-decker vehicles to go into service across the UK, as well as around 95 single-deck vehicles and 28 midi-buses.
Also included are a fleet of 12 new Alexander Dennis Limited Enviro400 XLB double-decker vehicles for the Cambridge Guided Busway, delivering more capacity than ever before, carrying 100 passengers. There are also 22 coaches for the Group’s UK Bus, Scottish Citylink and megabus.com operations.
Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Martin Griffiths said: “This is a huge investment by the private sector in providing better mobility and better air quality in local communities.
“It follows other significant investment that we’ve made in smart ticketing, improved information for customers and digital technology.
“Delivering better bus services is a shared responsibility and it is absolutely essential that this commitment is matched by urgent action by local authorities to address the growing gridlock in our towns and cities
Without action on congestion, local people will not enjoy the full benefits of this investment and people’s quality of life, health and our economy will continue to be damaged by too many cars on the road.”
Details of the new orders are as follows.
ADL:
- 28 Enviro200 MMC midi-buses
- 95 Enviro200 MMC single-deckers
- 32 Enviro400 City BYD electric double-deckers
- 131 Enviro400 MMC double-deckers
- 12 Enviro400 XLB-bodied Volvo B8L double-deckers
Caetano:
- 8 Levante-bodied Volvo B11R coaches
MCV:
- 12 eVoRa-bodied Volvo B8RLE single-deckers
Optare:
- 3 Solo mini-buses
- 4 Solo EV electric mini-buses
- 12 Metrocity electric single-deckers
Plaxton:
- 14 Panorama-bodied Volvo B11RLE double-deck coaches
