Go-Ahead launches new electric buses in northeast England

Credit: The Go-Ahead Group

Go-Ahead has announced the addition of nine electric buses to expand its fully electric bus fleet in the northeast of England. The buses are the result of a £2 million investment with top-up funding from the UK government’s Ultra-Low Emission Bus Fund.

Go North East’s zero-emission buses will help to improve air quality in the region as it backs the government’s net zero commitment. The new buses will be serving the Q3 route, which runs from Great Park to Wallsend via Newcastle City. Go-Ahead’s investment reflects the company’s commitment to a net zero bus fleet by 2035.

The new buses boast a range of on-board features, including air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, wireless and USB charging phone holders and a tap-on tap-off contactless payment option is available for passengers to pay for their travel through Google Pay or Apple Pay. The buses will be charged overnight at the state-of-the-art Riverside depot in Gateshead.

Go North East Managing Director, Nigel Featham said: “We hope that by adding to our zero-emission bus fleet, we can help flip the switch on people’s behaviour and see more people across our region leave the car behind to help reduce congestion on our roads and improve air quality for us all.”

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Transport Minister Baroness Vere said: “Our Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme has given operators such as Go-Ahead the opportunity to provide greener connections, reduce congestion and improve air quality across the country and it’s brilliant to see even more hit the road.”

Christian Schreyer, Go-Ahead Group CEO, said: “The importance of sustainable travel is growing, reflecting trends in climate change, digitalisation, urbanisation, and demographics. There are increasing funding opportunities for bus lanes, traffic management and improvements to bus stops, helping to reduce journey times and improve the reliability of services. Go-Ahead sees opportunities to grow by encouraging people to leave their cars at home and improving our services to make bus travel more attractive for our customers.”

In November 2020, Go-Ahead launched the first fully electric bus fleet in the northeast of England, taking Go North East’s total of electric buses to 18 with this latest development.