Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed an order for 55 battery-electric buses for the Bee Network from Wrightbus.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham made the announcement on a visit to the manufacturer’s Ballymena factory.
The order precedes the arrival of 76 Wrightbus double-deckers due to go into service next month as part of a £66 million investment with the Northern Ireland manufacturer.
It brings the total number of Wrightbus buses bought by TfGM to 293, in addition to the almost 500 made at Alexander Dennis which are already in operation around Manchester.
TfGM says the order further highlights its commitment to support British manufacturing and reduce air pollution in the city.
The transport authority plans to fully convert its fleet to battery-electric by 2030.
Mr Burnham says: “Through local control of the Bee Network, we’re proving that, when you invest properly in public transport, you don’t just transform how people get around, you drive real economic growth.
“This latest order for 55 new Wrightbus vehicles is part of our commitment to buy from UK-based manufacturers wherever we can to support and protect jobs, and strengthen our homegrown industries.
“It was brilliant to catch up with the team at the Wrightbus headquarters and see the new yellow buses on the production line, set to be serving our Greater Manchester communities from next month. We’re moving at pace to modernise our fleet and, thanks to partnerships with industries here in the UK, are on track for a fully electric bus network by the end of the decade.”
John McLeister, Wrightbus Sales Managing Director for UK and Ireland, adds: “We were delighted to welcome Mayor Andy Burnham and show him around the factory here in Ballymena.
“Orders like this aren’t just about creating jobs in Northern Ireland. This is about the ripple effect they can have across the whole UK supply chain, strengthening businesses like McKenna Brothers from Middleton in Manchester, who supply the blinds and screens for our buses.
“I’m glad to say that, while some manufacturing sectors have been in decline in recent years, the UK still has a thriving bus industry of which we’re very proud to be part of, despite the constant threats of imports from overseas.”
