Work has begun at the First Bus depot in Great Yarmouth to accommodate 10 new battery-electric buses.
High-power chargers are being installed at the Caister Road site for the new additions to the fleet, which will operate on service 8 from this autumn onwards.
The electrification of the Great Yarmouth depot is part of a £13.8 million project, to which £8.9 million is being contributed by First Bus and the remainder funded by Norfolk County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
The funding also covers 14 new electric buses for First Bus in Norwich, as well as installation of associated infrastructure at the operator’s Vulcan Road depot.
First Bus’s Roundtree Way depot in Norwich is already set up for battery-electric, with 70 zero-emission buses having entered service in the city in 2024, predominantly courtesy of Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) funding.
Simon Mathieson, Managing Director of First Bus East of England, says: “The transformation of Roundtree Way in Norwich showed what can be achieved when strong partnerships come together, with £37.2 million invested through ZEBRA funding, Norfolk County Council and First Bus.
“This next phase of investment, supported by BSIP funding and our own continued commitment, allows us to bring the benefits of electric buses to Great Yarmouth and more communities across Norfolk.”
Cllr Graham Plant, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport at Norfolk County Council, adds: “This investment demonstrates how our BSIP is helping to deliver real, visible improvements for passengers.
“By working in partnership with First Bus, we’re reducing emissions, improving air quality and supporting the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable bus network across Norfolk.”
