More than 25 brand new buses will be joining trentbarton’s fleet this summer, operating on ilkeston flyer, the villager, H1 and the mickleover.
The £6 million investment will see 23 low-emission buses, built in England, improving the journeys of customers on the Derby routes including from towns such as Alfreton, Burton, Heanor and Ilkeston, plus dozens of villages.
This new 2024 investment follows a 2023’s £4 million spend on 20 new buses for the threes connecting Nottingham, Hucknall, Kirkby, Sutton and Mansfield.
Tom Morgan, Managing Director of trentbarton, said: “In the last two years we will have invested more than £10 million in more than 45 new low-emission buses, each of which emits less nitrogen dioxide than a new car.
“This will take the number of low-emission buses in our fleet to more than 200. We're replacing buses that are more than ten years old in some places, so this will make a significant improvement to the quality of the service we deliver.
“We're committed to continued investment in our fleet. We're sure our customers will appreciate the upgrade, encouraging people to see the bus as the best, greenest and most relaxing and productive way to travel.”
The cleaner, greener Enviro200 buses are built by Alexander Dennis, with the multi-million Pound order also including new spare vehicles to join the fleet.
Each Enviro200 will feature three large skylights to create a light space inside and super bright LED destination screens, under seat lighting and an illuminated front logo. They're equipped with USB power at every seat and wireless charging docks. In addition, and for the first time, forward facing next stop displays will ensure that live next stop information is available for all customers on board, including those making use of the areas which can facilitate customers using pushchairs, wheel chairs and mobility aids.
Alexander Dennis Retail Sales Director, Charlie Miller, added: “trentbarton continues to live up to its reputation as the really good bus company with these really good Enviro200 low-emission buses. We’re delighted to have again been chosen as a supplier and we look forward to continuing this relationship with another 29 buses new Enviro200 buses this year, as well as supporting the buses throughout their operational life with our AD24 aftermarket service.”
The first batch of new buses arrive in the summer, with six destined for ilkeston flyer, five for the villager and six each for H1 and the mickleover.
All the new buses, which feature weight-saving design, meet the latest Euro VI emissions standard including for NOx.
With a full bus carrying 15 times more people than a full car – and many cars carrying only the driver at peak times – the new buses will provide a cleaner choice of transport for people travelling in and out of Derby and elsewhere along the routes.
Tom said: “We invite car drivers to try travelling on these smart new buses, because the more cars left at home means less congestion, quicker bus journeys and a virtuous circle that means we can invest even more in new buses in the future.”
This ongoing investment reaffirms our commitment to the East Midlands region and follows a proven track record of investment over decades of service. I’m sure this is recognised by our future Mayor who we hope will support committed, locally owned operators like ourselves and work in partnership with us to deliver further improvement to public transport across the region.