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Stagecoach New Year boost with over £75 million investment in more than 430 new buses and coaches

Posted: 9 January 2013 | Stagecoach Group | No comments yet

Stagecoach is to invest more than £75 million in hundreds of new buses and coaches…

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Stagecoach Group today (9 Jan 2013) announced it is to invest more than £75 million in hundreds of new buses and coaches for its bus and coach operations in the UK and Continental Europe.

The Perth-based transport group has placed initial orders for more than 430 buses and coaches for financial year 2013-14. Most of the new buses and coaches will be produced in the UK, helping support hundreds of British manufacturing jobs.

The latest orders follow an annual competitive tendering process and the first of the new vehicles will be delivered from May 2013.

It brings Stagecoach’s total investment in new buses and coaches for the UK over the past six years to more than £445 million.

Highlights of the latest investment are:

  • More than 380 low-floor double-decker, single-decker, midi and mini buses for Stagecoach regional bus networks in the UK
  • A special consignment of 10 innovative double-decker sleeper coaches for megabus.com in the UK, providing 55 luxury seats during the day and 41 beds at night.
  • 10 further inter-deck coaches for megabus.com services in Britain
  • 10 left-hand drive 72-seat inter-deck coaches for use on megabus.com services in Continental Europe to replace existing 49-seat standard coaches.
  • A total of 18 other coaches for inter-urban bus routes in the UK

All of the new vehicles meet the current Euro 5 emissions standards and a number will also be low carbon hybrid or gas versions. Full details will be confirmed following the announcement of successful applications from the fourth round of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Green Bus Fund. The DfT has allocated an extra £20 million to encourage further investment in greener buses and an announcement on successful bids is due in May.

Stagecoach is already the UK’s biggest investor in green hybrid electric buses, which produce 30% less carbon emissions than standard buses. The company has around 180 hybrid electric buses already in service in the UK, with nearly 60 more being introduced by the end of March 2013.

Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “This latest multi-million-pound investment is a great New Year boost for Britain. It will deliver better bus services to local communities across the country and will help support British manufacturing jobs. It is also great news for our customers, who continue to benefit from the best value fares of any major bus operator in the UK.

“We are continuing to see consumers switch to smarter, better value bus travel as motorists feel the effect of high fuel prices and the increasing cost of running a car. These new buses will also be better for the environment and continue our market-leading investment in greener technology.

“The new orders will also see further investment in our budget coach service megabus.com, which now carries more than five million passengers a year in the UK alone. We have placed a special order for new double-decker sleeper coaches, which will allow us to run a luxury service during the day and offer greater comfort to our customers on overnight services.”

Details of the new orders are as follows:

  • 113 ADL Enviro 400 Dennis and Scania double-deckers
  • 98 ADL Enviro 300 Dennis and Scania single-deckers
  • 140 ADL Enviro 200 Dennis midibuses
  • 1 Optare Versa midi-bus
  • 32 Optare Solo mini-buses
  • 10 Plaxton Panther Volvo B13R coaches
  • 8 Plaxton Elite Volvo B13R coaches
  • 10 Plaxton Elite Volvo B11R coaches
  • 10 Van Hool Altano TDX 21 left-hand drive coaches
  • 10 Van Hool Astromega double-decker sleeper coaches

For further information about Stagecoach bus services, visit www.stagecoachbus.com.

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