Fleet of new electric buses confirmed for Liverpool City Region - on these routes

More than 50 fully-electric double-decker buses are set to begin operating across the Liverpool City Region, in a bid to 'decarbonise' the public transport network and 'improve air quality'. The 58 buses will join the existing zero-emission fleet, which includes 20 zero-emission hydrogen buses that were first launched on the roads in May last year.

The announcement comes after the Combined Authority was awarded £9.4m, following a successful bid to the Department for Transport's Zero Emission Bus Regional Area fund. The 'ZEBRA 2' funding covers up to 75% of the cost difference between the zero emission vehicles and a standard diesel engine bus. The Combined Authority will contribute £22m in match-funding, bringing the total amount of money committed to the project to more than £30m.

It is planned that the new buses - which will be operated by Stagecoach - will run on the 17, 19, 14 and 20/21 bus routes between Kirkby, Tower Hill, Northwood and Liverpool city centre. A rollout date for the new zero-emissions stock is yet to be announced.

Richard McGuckin, Executive Director for Place at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said: “The money secured will, along with the match-funding already committed by the CA, help to bring dozens of new zero-emission buses to the city region enabling us push forward with our ambitions to decarbonise our transport network and improve air quality.”

The new fleet is part of Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram's plans for a greener Liverpool City Region - which includes last year's roll out of Merseyrail's battery-powered trains and proposals to build the world’s largest tidal scheme on the banks of the River Mersey.