Transport group Go-Ahead has announced a £500m investment in up to 1,200 UK-built electric buses from Northern Ireland-based Wrightbus.
The order is expected to support about 500 manufacturing jobs and create a new line at Wrightbus, based in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
The zero-emissions buses are expected to be deployed in Go-Ahead’s operations around the UK over the next three years, including in London, Plymouth, Gloucestershire, East Yorkshire and the Isle of Wight.
The Department for Transport said the investment would also support an extra 2,000 jobs across the wider UK supply chain by 2026.
The transport secretary, Louise Haigh, was due to meet Wrightbus executives and other industry leaders on Tuesday, with plans to create a new UK bus manufacturing expert panel to discuss how councils can step up services while reducing carbon emissions.
Haigh said: “The No 1 mission of this government is growing the economy. The £500m Go-Ahead is announcing today shows the confidence industry has in investing in the UK.
“This announcement will see communities across the country benefit from brand new, state-of-the-art green buses – which will deliver cleaner air and better journeys. We’re creating the right conditions for businesses to flourish, so we can support jobs and accelerate towards decarbonising the transport sector.”
Matt Carney, the chief executive of Go-Ahead Bus, said: “This multimillion-pound investment and partnership with Wrightbus will accelerate the transition to a zero-emission fleet across the UK.
“We are proud to be working in partnership with the UK government and local authorities to deliver transformational environmental change for communities, while supporting UK jobs and the growth of the country’s supply chain.”
Labour has pledged to prioritise better bus services with a buses bill coming to parliament. The government will extend franchising powers, now being used in Greater Manchester’s Bee Network, to any local transport authority that wishes to bring bus services under local control.
Wrightbus – the maker of the revived London Routemaster – went into administration in 2019 leading to 1,200 redundancies. It was later rescued by Bamford Bus Company owned by Jo Bamford, son of Lord Bamford, the Tory donor and chair of the British digger manufacturer JCB.
