£26m funding will expand region’s publicly-run electric bus fleet
Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram, unveiled plans to invest £26m in more electric buses, and their new livery, alongside Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, today (September 23).
Fifty new electric double-deckers will be purchased, following approval at last Friday’s (September 20) combined authority meeting.
The new vehicles are in addition to 58 fully electric buses for the region announced in March, and mark another important step towards the Mayor’s goal of reaching net zero carbon in the Liverpool City Region by 2035.
This will bring the total number of fully electric buses secured for the city region’s publicly-owned fleet to more than 100.
The buses’ design and colour scheme, as well as its Metro branding, mirror the city region’s £500m fleet of new trains.
The new livery will be introduced across the network over the coming years as plans to deliver an integrated London-style transport system for the city region move forward.
Work to bring the region’s bus network back into public control continues to progress at pace.
Mayor Rotheram last year took the decision to franchise bus services in the Liverpool City Region after a major public consultation revealed around 70% support for the plans.
With franchised services set to begin in St Helens in 2026 and introduced across the region by the end of 2027, the new system will allow greater local control of fares, timetables and routes.
Electric bus in Metro livery
Steve Rotheram said: “Today is a landmark moment in our mission to build a London-style, green transport system that works for the people of our city region. With an additional 100 fully electric buses ordered in just the past few months, we’re showing the rest of the country what a climate action strategy looks like in practice, cleaning up our air with fewer emissions.
“This is about more than just reducing emissions – it’s about creating a bus network that puts passengers first, making travel cheaper, greener, and more reliable for the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on it every day. By bringing buses back under public control, we’re ensuring decisions are made locally – and putting the public firmly back at the heart of public transport.”
Louise Haigh, in the city for the Labour Party Annual Conference, said: “This is a fantastic example of local leaders racing ahead to deliver better services for their communities.
“Liverpool City Region deserves a reliable, iconic and green bus network – and Mayor Rotheram is delivering on that vision through his plans for public control. This government is committed to supporting local leaders across the country to deliver on their transport priorities and breaking down barriers to delivering better buses.”
Funding for the new electric vehicles is to be drawn from CRSTS (City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement), a pot of £710m set aside for major transport projects in the region.
