UK: Transdev orders 15 eCitaro

The public transport operator Transdev has ordered 15 electric buses from Daimler Buses for use in England. With the 15 Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric solo buses, Transdev intends to convert a line between Keighley and Bradford in West Yorkshire to locally emission-free operation from the end of 2024.

Mercedes benz ecitaro transdev keighley bus company — Image: Transdev

Transdev is investing 4.4 million pounds in the 15 new electric buses and will receive an additional £3.1 million from the UK government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) funding programme.

The order from West Yorkshire will be handled by the Keighley Bus Company, which will then use the vehicles on behalf of Transdev. The line between Keighley and Bradford is known in the region as “The Shuttle.” In the run-up to the order, the operator tested several electric bus models on the route, which is served every 15 minutes. Passengers could give feedback on the respective test vehicles. What exactly tipped the scales in favour of the German model is not clear from the press release.

The eCitaros from the current order are not the first electric buses Transdev has ordered for use in Great Britain. In August, the Harrogate Bus Company in North Yorkshire, which belongs to Transdev, ordered 39 new electric buses – 20 electric solo buses of the type Mercedes-Benz eCitaro and 19 electric double-decker buses of the type Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV.

Update 21 November 2025

The previously ordered fleet of 15 new electric eCitaro buses is being introduced by Transdev for the Keighley Bus Company in a phased rollout. The rollout is split along two routes: SHUTTLE 662, with journeys up to every 15 minutes between Keighley, Bingley, Saltaire and Bradford, and hourly route 67 between Bradford, Thornton, Cullingworth and Keighley.

In order to service and charge the new bus fleet, the Keighley bus depot was re-equipped with a £1 million joint investment.

Keighley Bus Company Managing Director, Henri Rohard, said: “We’re very pleased to be introducing this impressive new fleet of zero-emission, battery electric buses, which will deliver the best experience for our customers as well as helping to clear the air in Bradford, Bingley and Keighley.” He further added, “Higher power output from today’s new generation batteries means each bus can go further between charge-ups, while delivering the reliable service rightly expected from us. We look forward to welcoming existing and new customers to your new buses.”

transdevbus.co.uk, transdevbus.co.uk (update)