Translink has welcomed the Department for Infrastructure’s announcement of £88 million funding for 100 new Zero Emission buses and EV charging infrastructure and says that the new battery electric buses will be supplied by local manufacturer Wrightbus and will be a mix of single-deck and double-deck vehicles.   

All the new buses are due to enter service by summer 2024 and their announcement follows the successful roll-out of 100 zero emission buses on Belfast Metro services this year along with the planned conversion of Foyle Metro services in Derry~Londonderry to be completely Zero Emissions by summer 2023.   

Chris Conway, Translink Group Chief Executive, says: “This further significant investment in Zero Emission buses supports our plans to decarbonise our fleet and lead the transport transformation in Northern Ireland for a cleaner, greener and healthier future for generations to come. It enables us to deliver the benefits of Zero Emission technology to more areas across NI with 40 buses being allocated to Ulsterbus services in the North-West, Coleraine and Craigavon. We will enhance the existing zero emission Metro fleet in Belfast with 60 buses which will mean that over half of these services will be Zero Emission. All the new buses will run on sustainably sourced “green” electricity and offer the latest standards in comfort, quality and accessibility with in-seat USB chargers, WiFi and low-floor accessibility features. Public transport plays a vital role in supporting the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of Northern Ireland and investment in Zero Emission fleet will be instrumental in helping us achieve our ambitious climate action targets to deliver 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, achieve Net Zero by 2040 and to become Climate Positive by 2050. We would like to thank the Minister and his Department for this investment and look forward to working in partnership with Wrightbus to deliver these new state-of-the-art buses, building a more sustainable future for Northern Ireland,” said Chris.  

Ben Werth, Wrightbus Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We’re immensely proud that an additional 100 of our world-leading StreetDeck Electroliners and GB Kite Electroliners will be on the streets of Northern Ireland. At Wrightbus, we’re not only enabling operators to build zero emission fleets fit for the future, but we’re also supporting jobs and the wider green economy across Ireland and beyond. This latest investment will help to make a huge impact in reducing emissions across the country.”

Highlights

*VIDEO TEST DRIVE* On the road with the new generation Temsa Prestij

We had an exclusive opportunity to test drive the new Temsa Prestij, the compact tourist coach that the Turkish manufacturer Temsa will officially launch at Busworld Europe 2025 in Brussels. First introduced in 1992, this model has sold nearly 20,000 units worldwide. The updated Prestij, announced i...

Related articles

Marcopolo returns to the European market, targeting the coach sector

Paradiso G8 1200. This is the name of the coach that Marcopolo will present at Busworld Europe 2025 in Brussels, relaunching its commercial operations in the European market. A touring coach that the Brazilian OEM developed in its home country, specifically designed for tourism mobility in the Old C...