Wrightbus secures 28-strong German order

Wrightbus has secured an order from German operator Saarbahn. The 28 Kite Hydroliners are due to be delivered this year.

The order follows similar orders in Germany from West Verkehr, which will receive 12 single-deck Kite Hydroliners, and Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK), which has signed a contract for up to 60 Kite Hydroliners.

Further contracts for 51 buses from two additional customers have already been signed in 2024.

The buses will be built at the Wrightbus factory in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

Together with Saarbahn Netz GmbH, Saarbahn GmbH employs around 580 people and transports around 43.7 million passengers by road and rail every year.

“This is a significant deal for Wrightbus, Saarbahn GmbH and the people of Saarland” – Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive of Wrightbus

Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive of Wrightbus, said: “This is a significant deal for Wrightbus, Saarbahn GmbH and the people of Saarland. We are delighted to deliver even more zero-emission buses in support of clear net zero targets

“Saarbahn is the largest public transport operator in Saarbrücken and the surrounding area. Therefore, adding hydrogen buses to the fleet will have a significant positive impact on the region’s environment.”

“We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously” – Saarbahn Project Manager, Torsten Burgardt

Saarbahn Project Manager, Torsten Burgardt, said: “We are extremely pleased to be working with Wrightbus to bring zero-emission buses to the roads of Saarland. We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and this is the first step towards ensuring that half of our fleet is made up of zero-emission buses in the next three years.”