Leicester to roll out 60 new electric buses

Leicester is set to meet its target of providing all-electric buses across the whole city network when an additional 60 buses coming on stream from September 2026.

The new vehicles will take the total number of electric buses in Leicester to 240, with all buses on the road by March 2027.

Leicester City Council has secured £8m of government funding towards the total cost of the fleet increase, with bus companies Arriva and Centrebus contributing the remaining £18m. This new funding means the total investment made in Leicester’s electric bus fleet over the past four years is now £100m.

Cllr Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for transport and climate said: “Providing zero emission buses across our whole city network is a huge achievement, made possible by the excellent work being done by the Leicester Buses Partnership.

“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.

“Together, we are bringing to life our ambitious ten-year plan to improve services, vehicles and routes across Leicester, and encourage more people to use the city’s public transport network.”

Roads and buses minister Simon Lightwood said: “Electric buses offer smoother, quieter and greener journeys for people across the country, so I’m delighted to see that Leicester City Council, backed by £8m in government funding, is continuing their tremendous work and rolling them out across the whole of their network.

“Our bus revolution is well underway, with our Bus Services Act now law and a recent £3 billion funding boost giving local leaders the tools and financial backing to invest more in electric buses that not only improve air quality but lead to more enjoyable journeys for passengers too.”

Arriva will operate 56 of the new buses, while Centrebus will run four.

Toby France, head of commercial at Arriva Midlands, said: “This circa £17m investment by Arriva in a further 56 UK-built, electric buses will more than double our zero-emission fleet in Leicester, and helps shape a future where people choose to leave their cars at home with less congestion on our roads, and cleaner air for the next generation.

“It’s 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.”

David Brookes, Centrebus managing director said: “This project reflects a significant financial investment from both Centrebus and Leicester City Council, enabling the next phase of electric buses in the city. As part of the Leicester Buses Partnership, we share the council’s commitment to cleaner, greener travel and we’re pleased to contribute to reducing emissions and improving journeys for local residents.”

It is estimated that the new zero-emission buses will help reduce the city’s carbon footprint by the equivalent of more than 3000 tonnes of CO2 per year, and more than 1000 kilos of NO2 – a main component of air pollution.

The completion of the fleet builds on the council’s investment in improving bus priority on busy routes across the city and the £13.5m redevelopment of St Margaret’s bus station, claimed to be the UK’s first carbon neutral bus station building.

The Leicester Buses Enhanced Partnership Scheme has committed to modernising and upgrading bus travel throughout the city. This includes bringing in more than 200 fully electric buses, automated digital ticketing, and improving reliability and frequency of services, as well as introducing bus lane and signal measures to give priority to public transport.