First Bus introduces West Yorkshire’s largest fleet of zero-emission buses

The transformation of the Bramley depot, costing £29 million, has been made possible through a £16.4 million investment by First Bus, supplemented by £12.6 million secured in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) ZEBRA funding scheme.

Andrew Cullen, Managing Director of First Bus’ North and West Yorkshire business, said: “This is the beginning of a new future for the Bramley depot and part of our green transport revolution in Leeds. We’re proud to unveil these latest zero-emission buses and are confident they will appeal to our customers and attract more people to consider bus travel by realising the real impact this has in reducing congestion, creating cleaner air and supporting the wider West Yorkshire economy.”

Cullen also emphasised the fruitful partnership between First Bus and WYCA, highlighting their shared ambition for a net zero transport system and the reduction of carbon emissions in the city.

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By the end of March 2024, a third of the Bramley depot fleet will be zero-emission, with each bus estimated to save around 60 tonnes of carbon annually.

Deputy Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, Councillor Peter Carlill, said: “Work to electrify the Bramley bus depot is a huge step forward for the Combined Authority’s vision of a green, zero-emission bus system for West Yorkshire. Having more of these buses on our roads will benefit areas affected by low air quality, as well as helping us to achieve our target of becoming a net zero carbon region by 2038.”

The buses will be charged using Heliox Rapid 150 kW chargers, capable of fully charging a bus in 2.5 hours. The fleet comprises 32 single-decker GB Kite Electroliners, along with 25 StreetDeck Electroliner double-deckers, equipped with features such as audio-visual next stop technology and USB charging points, manufactured in Northern Ireland.