First Real-life Look at Liverpool City Region’s New Hydrogen Buses

A demonstrator Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV vehicle will be on display at The Royal Albert Dock from Sunday 25th September to Wednesday 28th September 2022, giving the general public the first opportunity to see the distinctive new Metro livery and to learn more about the advantages that the zero-emission hydrogen buses will bring to the area.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority 

Just a week ago, the £2 adult single fare was implemented, making bus travel around the region more affordable and convenient for passengers. Now, the new hydrogen bus livery has been revealed.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“Buses are the backbone of our region’s public transport system, with more than 400,000 journeys taken by bus every day. With so many of our residents relying on their services to access work, education and other vital public services, I want to ensure we can provide them with better, faster, cleaner journey to take them from A to B.

“Our new hydrogen fleet is more spacious, more accessible, and more befitting of a high-quality service you’d expect of a modern city region like ours – and even better, they’ll be owned by us. It’s a big statement of intent for my ambitions for the future of public transport in our area to make travel cheaper and easier for residents, having recently taken a big step towards that goal with the launch of our £2 bus fare.

“This investment in the future of our buses is only the start of our plans – we’re pressing ahead with work to reregulate our bus network to deliver much greater public control over things like fares, timetables and routes. Working towards a London-style transport system, we can build a more reliable, more efficient, more affordable network that puts the public back at the heart of public transport. If it’s good enough for London, then it’s the very least that our region deserves.”

The hydrogen buses will be a significant addition to the region's current bus fleet, which is already more than 70% low emissions. Mayor Rotheram has set a target for the Liverpool City Region to become net zero carbon by 2040 at the latest - at least a decade before national targets.

As part of the first Green Bus Route in the city region, the new buses will run on the busy 10A route between St Helens, Knowsley, and Liverpool city centre. By adding priority lanes, upgrading traffic signals, and redesigning junctions to give buses priority over other road traffic, Green Bus Routes will make bus trips faster and more dependable for passengers.

The Combined Authority has purchased an initial fleet of 20 hydrogen vehicles, from bus manufacturers Alexander Dennis, with production taking place at factories across the UK including in Lancashire and Falkirk in Scotland. The first vehicles could arrive in the city region as soon as the end of 2022.

The bus being displayed at the Royal Albert Dock (pictured above), is an Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV electric demonstrator vehicle shared with Transport for London and is of almost the exact same body design as the city region’s new hydrogen buses, except for a second set of doors which are used by buses in London.

If you're thinking of visting the Royal Albert Deock, Combined Authority staff will also be on hand to explain the full range of special features which will on board the buses being built for the city region – including wireless and USB phone charging, internet access and reading lights above seats.

The new Hydrogen buses will be some of the most accessible in the country, with increased capacity for wheelchair users and passengers with prams or buggies.