Leicester City Council (LCC) has secured £8 million of government funding towards a further 60 battery-electric buses for the trunk Mainlines network in the city, which will take the total number of such vehicles on those services to 240.
Arriva Midlands (56) and Centrebus (four) will receive the vehicles, with those due for Arriva noted as being UK-built. All are due in service by March 2027.
Both operators already run battery-electrics on Mainlines services, with LCC noting via the Leicester Buses website that it expects to seek funding for a further 60 such buses “to complete an expanded network by 2030.”
The first of the confirmed 60 will enter service from September 2026. Alongside the government money, Arriva and Centrebus are contributing £18 million, taking the total investment in the city’s battery-electric bus fleet over the past four years to £100 million.
Assistant City Mayor for Transport and Climate Cllr Geoff Whittle has credited “the excellent work being done by the Leicester Buses Partnership” as making the wholesale transition to battery-electric possible.
“The bus companies have made a huge commitment to cleaner, greener travel in Leicester, and the council has had great success in securing additional funds from the Department for Transport, which has been very supportive of Leicester’s aims,” adds Cllr Whittle.
“Together, we are bringing to life our ambitious 10-year plan to improve services, vehicles and routes across Leicester, and encourage more people to use the city’s public transport network.”
Arriva Midlands will provide £17 million of funding to the next stage of battery-electric rollout, with Head of Commercial Toby France noting how a forthcoming 56 vehicles will more than double the operator’s zero-emission fleet in Leicester.
“It is fantastic to be working with Leicester City Council on this exciting project, which really demonstrates the shared vision and commitments of our Leicester Buses Partnership,” adds Mr France.
Centrebus Managing Director David Brookes observes how that group is also making a further significant commitment to part-funding additional vehicles.
“As part of the Leicester Buses Partnership, we share the council’s commitment to cleaner, greener travel and we are pleased to contribute to reducing emissions and improving journeys for local residents,” he says.
