Huge £11Million Boost To Bring 82 More Electric Buses To Tees Valley Roads

A huge £11million boost to drive the rollout of more efficient and greener electric buses across our region has today been confirmed.

The new funding – announced by the Department for Transport – will pay for another 82 electric buses to run from 2027 and support the full electrification of a further two bus depots, taking the region’s total to three.

The additional funding will mean Tees Valley will have 170 electric vehicles after a total investment of more than £65million.

More than half of the entire bus fleet in the region will soon be electric just two years on from the first vehicle taking to the roads – saving on energy costs, reducing environmental impacts and making journeys better for passengers.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “This is great news for people across our region and means we’ll see better, more reliable buses on our roads.

“We know there’s still more work to do to give local people the transport network they deserve, so alongside major upgrades to our railway stations, we’re investing in the latest technology to keep traffic moving and make our road network work better for motorists.

“This funding will bring new buses into service and upgrade the depots needed to keep them running, and is another step towards the modern, reliable transport system people across our region expect and deserve.”

Tees Valley initially received £7.8million from the Department for Transport in the first phase of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund in 2024.

Alongside £21.7million from the bus operators, this funding saw 61 fully electric buses on the Arriva and Stagecoach local bus fleet.

This contributed towards the full electrification of Stagecoach’s Stockton depot, and upcoming partial electrification of the Arriva Darlington depot fleet.

This latest additional ZEBRA funding will allow the Stagecoach depot, in Hartlepool, and the remainder of the Arriva depot, in Darlington, to be fully electrified by 2027.

All electric Stagecoach buses in our region can be easily spotted as they’ve been named by schoolchildren after a successful competition last year.

Cllr Steve Harker, TVCA Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure and Leader of Darlington Borough Council, is delighted with the cash uplift and its impact on local services.

He said: “It’s fantastic news to see the Government backing our buses by providing us with extra funding we need to bring our region’s fleet right up to date.

“This all means we’ll see more electric buses on our streets, and it allows us to invest in our infrastructure. It’s also a big boost to hear the Arriva depot at Faverdale will be fully electrified.

“This will bring greater reliability and better services to thousands of passengers. I’m looking forward to seeing the additional electric buses on the ground.”

Steve Walker, Managing Director for Stagecoach North East, said: “We welcome this further investment which will help accelerate the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable bus network across the Tees Valley.

“The additional funding will support the electrification of our Hartlepool depot and enable more zero-emission buses to operate across the region, building on the success of the electric fleet already serving local communities.

“Working in partnership with the Tees Valley Combined Authority and the Department for Transport, we’re committed to delivering greener and cleaner journeys for our customers while playing our part in supporting the region’s ambitions for a more sustainable transport network.”

Richard Hoare, Managing Director of Arriva North, added: “This funding is a huge leap forward for cleaner public transport in the Tees Valley.

“Subject to final approvals, introducing 54 new electric buses alongside the 21 that Arriva already has for Darlington would allow us to fully electrify the depot.

“We’re really pleased with that progress, and it means we’ll be delivering quieter, zero-emission journeys for our customers and communities.”

The funding boost comes after the Mayor and Combined Authority agreed to back three services with from April to the summer to replace Tees Flex.

These include the X86 to serve the western villages of Stockton, an extended Service 10 to serve Sadberge, and the new Service 51 in Hartlepool.

Cllr Pamela Hargreaves, TVCA Cabinet Member for Creative Place and Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, added: “We want better services, better information and better buses in Hartlepool – and the rollout of more electric buses and modernisation of the Stagecoach depot will help take us up a level.

“This comes on the back of the good news on a new Service 51 coming in April to link Dalton Piercy and Elwick with Hartlepool Sixth Form College and Hartlepool Town Centre.

“It’s great to have the Government backing our buses and I’m looking forward to seeing the Hartlepool depot get the investment it deserves.”

To find out more on bus services in the region, go to: Service Updates – Travel – Tees Valley