Göttingen advances €60 million electric bus depot project (for 100 e-buses), opening planned for 2031

GöVB has awarded the planning contract for a new €60 million electric bus depot in Göttingen designed for at least 100 electric buses and scheduled to enter operation by the end of 2031.

Göttinger Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH (GöVB) has completed the European-wide, two-stage negotiated procurement procedure for the new facility, awarding the contract to a consortium comprising Ingérop Deutschland GmbH, AREP and Paris-based AREP ARCHITECTES. The contract signing starts the detailed planning phase for the project, according to GöVB.

The new depot will be developed on Hermann-Kolbe-Straße in Göttingen and will cover approximately 40,000 square metres. Construction is currently expected to begin in 2029, with commissioning planned for the end of 2031. GöVB puts the investment volume at €60 million.

Göttingen electric bus depot to accommodate at least 100 e-buses

According to GöVB, the planned depot will provide parking capacity for at least 100 electric buses, together with reserve areas for future development at the site. The project also includes the energy and charging infrastructure required for electric bus operations.

The facility will incorporate workshop and maintenance areas, operational and administrative buildings and parking spaces for employees. The selected concept also covers the arrangement of the different functional areas within the depot and options for subsequent development.

The project is intended to provide infrastructure for GöVB’s growing electric bus fleet. The operator states that it already has a well-developed electric bus fleet and plans further expansion.

The planning consortium brings together Ingérop Deutschland, AREP and AREP ARCHITECTES. Material included with the GöVB press release describes Ingérop’s activities in Germany as covering project management, construction planning, digital engineering and sustainability consulting, while AREP is presented as an international planning company focused on infrastructure projects.

Planning and permitting phases ahead of 2029 construction start

The next project stages comprise project-specific basic assessment and preliminary planning, procurement of additional specialist planning services and preparation of the funding application. Further phases will include design planning, approval planning and detailed execution planning.

GöVB currently expects construction to start in 2029. Commissioning of the electric bus depot is scheduled for the end of 2031.

The procurement procedure was led and legally supported by Linda Kowalczyk of Göttingen-based law firm sjs Rechtsanwälte und Notare.

In brief

• What is GöVB building in Göttingen?
  A new electric bus depot on Hermann-Kolbe-Straße with capacity for at least 100 electric buses.
• How much will the new electric bus depot cost?
  GöVB states an investment volume of €60 million for the project.
• Who will plan the Göttingen electric bus depot?
  A consortium comprising Ingérop Deutschland GmbH, AREP and AREP ARCHITECTES.
• When will the depot open?
  Construction is expected to begin in 2029, with commissioning planned for the end of 2031.

“With the signing of the contract, we are starting the concrete planning of the new electric bus depot. Our goal is a high-performance, economical and future-proof infrastructure that enables the reliable operation of a growing electric bus fleet. Together with the planning office, we will now swiftly tackle the next steps and turn the convincing concept into a viable implementation,” said Michael Neugebauer, Managing Director of GöVB.

“With the decision to build the new electric bus depot at the Hermann-Kolbe-Straße site, we are setting an important course for the future of public transport in our city. I am very pleased that this forward-looking decision was made during my term of office and that a decisive milestone has now been reached with the award of the contract. The new depot is far more than a construction project: it is an important investment in the future of our city, in climate-friendly mobility and in efficient local transport for citizens,” said Göttingen Mayor and Supervisory Board Chair Petra Broistedt.

“We are very pleased about the trust placed in us and the opportunity to develop a forward-looking electric bus depot together with GöVB. The new depot in Göttingen will create a future-proof location for a modern and fully electrified public transport fleet. In doing so, the city is taking a pioneering role in sustainable mobility,” said Colin Uffelmann, Head of Architecture Department, Ingérop Deutschland GmbH.