Stagecoach has revealed Greater Manchester’s first double-decker electric buses as part of a £16.5m investment. The 32 ADL buses will operate on routes 111 and 43, connecting Manchester city centre with Manchester Airport, five hospitals and three universities. The zero emission buses can travel 190 miles on a single charge and will help to ease pollution on some of Europe’s busiest roads.
Elisabeth Tasker, Managing Director of Stagecoach Manchester, said: “The introduction of the new electric double-decker buses is a significant milestone in the history of transport in Greater Manchester and represents one of the biggest single investments in electric buses anywhere in Europe. We are very proud to have worked in partnership with the Mayor, Andy Burnham, Transport for Greater Manchester and other key organisations to secure the investment needed to roll out the first electric double-decker buses for this region.
“This significant investment will deliver major benefits for our customers, the region and other road users in delivering greener transport on some of Manchester’s busiest roads. This new fleet of electric buses is the latest example of what can be achieved by working together. We will continue to build on the major progress we’ve already made with more customer improvements such as next stop announcements, on board WiFi, contactless ticketing and live journey information.”
A multi-million-pound investment has also been made to develop infrastructure and power requirements at depot level, with intelligent chargers used to limit loadings on the electricity supply and maximise vehicle availability.
