Stagecoach has ordered 200 Enviro400 double-deckers from Alexander Dennis for its provincial operations in England. They are to be delivered in 2023 and represent an investment of around £50m, the group says.
The buses will be added to Stagecoach fleets in Chichester, Folkestone, Manchester, Mansfield, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northampton, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Torquay, Winchester and Yorkshire.
In placing the order, the group has reiterated its target of running a fully zero-emission bus fleet in the UK by 2025. Regional Director Sam Greer says that the deal with Alexander Dennis for diesel Enviro400s “will complement the investment that we are already making with our electric buses.” In Scotland, Stagecoach will soon introduce what it says are the UK’s first all-electric city bus networks in Inverness and Perth.
Adds Mr Greer: “We are proud of the continued investment we are making to our fleet with the largest single order for new buses in the UK this year. This really shows our commitment to the future prosperity of our communities and to our people, who can all benefit from cleaner transport and a growing bus sector.”
Alexander Dennis President and Managing Director Paul Davies has thanked Stagecoach for the Enviro400 order. “We are delighted to continue to support Stagecoach in making buses across the UK cleaner and greener. Our low-emission Enviro400 is a tried and tested product that combines efficiency with high passenger capacity.
“After the challenges that both operators and manufacturers in the UK bus industry have faced in the last years, it is a heartening step on the road to recovery to see significant volumes of vehicles being ordered again by the country’s largest bus operator, Stagecoach.”
Stagecoach already has over 1,000 Enviro400s with the current bodywork style, which also features in its fleet on other OEMs’ chassis. It says that the 200 new Enviro400s will help to remove a further 3,500 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
