Go North East has opened its brand new £3.5m depot in Consett, County Durham.
The state-of-the-art 8,800m² depot replaces the century-old Stanley site, and is now home to 63 vehicles and 180 staff.
It has been in development for two and a half years, designed by Go North East with Gateshead-based architects Shadbolt Group.
It includes a lean engineering facility to make vehicle maintenance more efficient, a full-recycling vehicle wash, and spill-free refuelling system.
It also has electric vehicle charging stations, and vehicle lifts instead of pits, which Go North East says creates a safer way of working on engines under vehicles.
Go North East has also shown its commitment to Consett with a £100,000 refurb of its Medomsley Road operations office, including new CCTV and alarm systems, a new roof, and new canteen facilities for bus drivers.
It has also invested £10m in Consett on new buses and vehicle upgrades, including environmentally-friendly engines, audio-visual next-stop announcements, USB power sockets, Wi-Fi and leather seating.
David Brown, Group Chief Executive of Go-Ahead Group, says: “This new depot is further demonstration of our long-term commitment to the North East, where we are the third largest private employer.
“With 60% of all public transport journeys taking place on the bus, we are pleased to play our part in the economic growth in Consett and the North East.”
Simon Henig, Leader of County Durham Council, says: “It’s great to see Go North East demonstrating its confidence in our county and our growing economy by making such a significant investment here.
“The opening of this new depot is a sign of optimism for the future of services in our area.”
