Leicester on track to offer electric buses across whole city network
In addition to the 180 electric buses currently in its fleet, the city has purchased an additional 60 buses which are set to hit the road from September 2026. The £8 million of government funding and the £18 million in private funding brings the total level of investment in Leicester’s electric bus fleet up to £100 million over the last four years.
The city hasn’t confirmed which bus models have been purchased as part of the new order. However, one thing that’s clear is that Arriva and Centrebus have not only part-funded the new vehicles; they’ll also be operating them, with Arriva running 56 of the new buses and Centrebus running four. This is reflected in the share of investment offered by each company: Arriva provided £17 million towards the buses, while Centrebus provided £1 million.
This expansion of Leicester’s electric bus fleet is linked to the city’s Leicester Buses Enhanced Partnership Scheme which aims to not only electrify a portion of the bus fleet but also introduce automated digital ticketing, improved reliability and frequency of services, and dedicated bus lanes. The council has also led a £13.5 million redevelopment of St Margaret’s bus station in the city – which it claims is the first carbon-neutral bus station in the UK.
The UK’s Roads and Buses Minister, Simon Lightwood, said: “Electric buses offer smoother, quieter and greener journeys for people across the country, so I’m delighted to see that Leicester City Council, backed by £8 million in Government funding, is continuing their tremendous work and rolling them out across the whole of their network.”
Toby France, Head of Commercial at Arriva Midlands, added: “This circa £17m investment by Arriva in a further 56 UK-built, electric buses will more than double our zero-emission fleet in Leicester, and helps shape a future where people choose to leave their cars at home with less congestion on our roads, and cleaner air for the next generation.”
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