Electric bus depot planned in Sydney for 165 electric buses
Busways says the concept design is underway to transform a former factory site into a depot for 165 electric buses with an investment of AUD 115 million. Construction is set to begin early next year and be completed by the end of 2027.
Busways currently operates bus service contracts that include Transport for New South Wales (NSW) in Western Sydney, North Shore and West. The bus services provider is actively contributing to the project development in collaboration with Transport for NSW and will operate the electric bus depot once the project is live.
Chris Wolf, head of the ZEB transition program at Busways, said Busways was partnering closely with Transport for NSW to support design and development. “We’ve already designed and built five brand new bus depots in Sydney and are operating 18 ZEBs in our Penrith Depot, plus running a ZEB testing program and contributing to the development of Australian-built charging optimisation technology,” he explained
Wolf said that the knowledge from these projects ensures that the new depot’s design is “ultra-efficient and has strong amenities to support and attract employees to deliver robust zero emissions services to the community.”
The move is part of the NSW Government’s Zero Emission Buses Program announced in 2019, aiming to transition the entire bus fleet of more than 8000 buses to zero emissions technology by 2035 in Greater Sydney, Outer Metro regions by 2040 and regional NSW by 2047.
In early 2022, the Western Sydney-based company Custom Denning was awarded a contract to design, manufacture and assemble 79 new electric buses to operate in Sydney. In June 2022, the NSW government announced it would invest $218.9 million over the next seven years to start decarbonising the bus fleet. At the end of 2022, Transit Systems and their partners Zenobē and TransGrid completed the construction of Australia’s largest electrified bus depot in Sydney. The NSW State Government also approved $3 billion to fund the next stage of Zero Emission Buses (ZEBS) and new charging infrastructure.
With the announcement of the new electric bus charging depot now in the Macquarie Park district, Transport Minister Jo Haylen noted that the New South Wales government was committed to rolling out electric buses and charging infrastructure. This was also because passengers across Sydney wanted a smoother ride on quieter, more sustainable modern vehicles. “This isn’t just about reducing our carbon footprint – it’s also about creating a more enjoyable passenger experience for everyone,” she said.
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