Go North East to expand electric fleet by 11

Go North East is to expand its electric bus fleet by another 11 vehicles thanks to ZEBRA funding.

The Go-Ahead-owned operator has partnered with Transport North East, which has secured £5.7 million of government funding. The transport authority is one of the 25 authorities in England awarded ZEBRA 2 funding from the UK government.

Go North East is to add the 11 vehicles to its fleet by 2026, bringing the total number to 47. These additional buses will cover services 58 and X66, operating from its Gateshead Riverside depot alongside 18 electric vehicles already being used on Voltra services 53, 54, and the Q3.

ZEBRA 2 will see 201 zero-emission buses delivered across Go-Ahead’s UK regional bus companies. Go-Ahead will invest £62 million, adding to the £44 million from the government and £6 million from local authorities.

“With 47 of them in operation, we’ll be making a big contribution to helping the environment and improving air quality for communities across our region” – Nigel Featham, Managing Director for Go North East

Nigel Featham, Managing Director for Go North East, said: “This investment marks another significant step towards our commitment to a greener fleet. With each electric bus we deploy, we reduce annual carbon emissions on average by 60 tonnes. With 47 of them in operation, we’ll be making a big contribution to helping the environment and improving air quality for communities across our region. We are proud to lead the way in sustainable transport and remain dedicated to creating a cleaner, healthier environment for all.”

“This is a huge boost to our plans for creating a greener and healthier environment for people across the region” – Tobyn Hughes, Managing Director of Transport North East

Tobyn Hughes, Managing Director of Transport North East, said: “We’re delighted with the outcome which sees us, in collaboration with Go North East and other operators, secure £7.4m worth of ZEBRA-2 funding to deliver a total of 43 zero-emission buses for communities in the North East. This is a huge boost to our plans for creating a greener and healthier environment for people across the region.”