First zero-emission buses arrive in Norfolk
The zero-emission buses (ZEB) are the first of a fleet of seventy being rolled out in Norfolk over the coming months to replace all the diesel buses working out of First Bus’ Roundtree Way depot by March 2024, as reported.
Once the modernisation and order are complete next year, over half of the Norwich network operated by First Bus will be electric; that’s over 60% of all bus journeys through Castle Meadow in the city centre.
The current charge of e-buses are currently serving passengers on the Pink, Red, Orange and Blue lines.
The buses come from Northern Ireland’s bus builder Wrightbus and will help First Bus convert its entire fleet to zero tailpipe emissions by 2035.
The operator placed the first orders for Wrightbus ZEBs in 2021 and has since increased the budget. In total, First Bus will operate more than 600 electric buses by March 2024.
In Norfolk, the fleet transition reportedly relies heavily on groundbreaking work at the Norwich Roundtree Way depot to prepare for the 70 electric buses.
Piers Marlow, Managing Director of First East of England, said: “It’s incredibly exciting, after all the hard work and planning that has gone into this project so far, that the first vehicles are going out onto the roads to serve customers in Norwich.”
To fund the purchase of the vehicles, First Bus and Norfolk County Council secured an investment of £14.7m from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) government funding. First Bus matched the grant with around £23m of funding.
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