The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) has confirmed that it will use £26.1 million of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) funding to purchase 50 battery-electric double-decker buses.
That spend was first proposed by LCRCA in July. The 50 buses it relates to are above 58 such examples that will be part-funded by the second round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme.
Papers put before an LCRCA meeting on 20 September show that the CRSTS allocation to fund the 50 buses is part of a larger £75.4 million from that pot for bus decarbonisation, a shift that is described as being of “major strategic value” to the City Region.
The CRSTS-funded order will be placed “as soon as possible” given wider high demand for battery-electric buses. The purchase agreement will thus be reached “in advance of other elements of the bus decarbonisation programme being finalised and brought forward for [Combined Authority] approval.”
Although news on the successful manufacturer is awaited, an Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV demonstrator has gained the yellow-based livery and Metro branding that is to be applied to all buses in the conurbation as part of work that will see franchising rolled out from 2026 and completed by the end of 2027 in an acceleration of previous plans.
The Metro scheme and branding is already carried by 20 Alexander Dennis Enviro400FCEV hydrogen fuel cell-electric double-deckers and mirrors that applied to new trains that have been delivered to the Merseyrail network. LCRCA says that it will be applied to bus fleets “across the coming years.”
In announcing progression of the battery-electric buses and the Metro brand, Mr Rotheram was joined at Pier Head in Liverpool by Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh on the third day of the Labour party conference in the city.
In bullish words, Mr Rotheram says that the Liverpool City Region is “showing the rest of the country what a climate action strategy looks like in practice” with its procurement of zero-emission buses, and that such work sits close to franchising.
Ms Haigh adds: “This is a fantastic example of local leaders racing ahead to deliver better services for their communities. Liverpool City Region deserves a reliable, iconic and green bus network – and Mayor Rotheram is delivering on that vision through his plans for public control.
“This government is committed to supporting local leaders across the country to deliver on their transport priorities and breaking down barriers to delivering better buses.”
