Warrington’s Own Buses is making strong progress towards the wholesale transition of its fleet to battery-electric power, with the operator’s purpose-built depot to support that work in the Cheshire town due to be handed over in March.
The site of that new operating centre was visited by Under-Secretary of State for Transport Richard Holden (pictured, second from right) in early February. The electrification work is being partly funded by a successful bid to the fast-track mechanism of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) fund.
Once the depot is transferred to the operator, it will start to make what Managing Director Ben Wakerley (pictured, left) says is “a phased move” from its existing base over the following weeks.
Space within the new premises has been protected for the necessary infrastructure to support battery-electric buses, but Mr Wakerley adds that the depot is equally suited to a fully diesel fleet in the short term. Three kilometres of under-floor ducting forms part of the preparation work for zero-emission and charging lanes have been laid out.
Orders for buses and chargers are expected to be placed imminently following conclusion of a tendering process. Plans currently call for the first vehicles to enter service before the end of 2023. The procurement will include both double- and single-deck buses. 105 will be purchased, replacing diesel examples on a one-for-one basis.
“Ideally we will receive the double-deck buses first, but that is still for discussion with the successful manufacturer,” says Mr Wakerley. “This is a huge project for us and we have broken it into bite-sized chunks. Procurement of buses and chargers has accounted for a great deal of work, as has the new depot.”
Speaking about Mr Holden’s visit to Warrington’s Own Buses, Mr Wakerley believes that it was in recognition of the scale of Department for Transport investment in the town’s bus network. The successful ZEBRA submission by the operator’s parent Warrington Borough Council has drawn around £21.5 million of government funding.
“The minister was very supportive of what we are doing; our work on buses and a new depot could be seen as a flagship,” he continues.
Highlighted during Mr Holden’s visit was the importance of a long-term funding outlook for the bus industry in England. While the minister’s arrival came before the recent announcement of a three-month extension to the Bus Recovery Grant and Bus Fare Cap Grant schemes to the end of June, Mr Wakerley highlighted to Mr Holden the need for clarity far beyond that point.
“This is not a case of the industry bringing out the begging bowl; it is us telling ministers that by funding buses properly, we can meet the government’s policy objectives for the mode. As a sector we can do, and are doing, so much for those aims and I put that across during his visit.”
