Greater Manchester has taken a bold step in public transport, completing the historic re-regulation of its bus network. This milestone, the first in England in 40 years, represents a seismic shift in how the city-region connects its communities, promotes sustainability and drives economic growth. The transformation is part of the Bee Network, an ambitious vision for a fully integrated, “London-style” public transport system by 2025.
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Yorkshire Kids Get First Ride on Transdev’s New Electric Double-Deckers
Move over, Rudolph. Two shiny new double-decker buses just whisked Yorkshire kids off on a festive adventure to the Elf Village – and they’re fully electric. Yep, Christmas came early, and it’s running on batteries.
Transdev Blazefield
The lucky stars of the show? Wide-eyed pupils from Oatlands Infant School in Harrogate. They climbed aboard Transdev’s brand-new Alexander Dennis Enviro 400EV buses – all 100% electric, mind – for a trip to meet Santa and his merry gang at Harrogate’s Cedar Court Hotel, which has been transformed into a magical Elf Village by the team at Enchantica’s.
Now, these aren’t just any buses. Oh no. The 36, Transdev’s swanky premium route connecting Harrogate, Leeds and Ripon, is getting 19 of these British-built beauties in January. That’s part of a cool £21 million investment that includes 39 zero-emission buses and a fully revamped depot. Fancy.
So, What’s the Deal with These New Buses?
First off, they’re greener than a Christmas tree. These double-deckers are kitted out with all the mod cons: electronic cameras replacing wing mirrors, a glazed staircase, upper deck seats that scream ‘business class’ and even wireless phone charging. Who needs reindeer when you’ve got all that?
On the lower deck, there’s plenty of space for wheelchairs and prams plus high-visibility lighting to keep things safe. Oh, and they look good too. Red and black, shiny as a bauble.
Santa, Elves and a Bit of Magic
Once at the Elf Village, the kids met Father Christmas himself – who was probably chuffed to take a break from his sleigh – and enjoyed a festive show led by Suzanne Vaughan (aka Tinsel the Elf).
“We’re delighted to team up with Transdev to welcome children from Oatlands Infant School to our magical Elf Village with the first ever journey on Harrogate’s smart new red and black electric double-decker buses – they really are stunning,” said Suzanne.
“As a local educational theatre producer, we are passionate about using theatre to bring learning to life. Through stories brought alive by Father Christmas and Tinsel, we captivate audiences while supporting education, well-being and environmental awareness. By collaborating with other businesses, we prove that magic truly happens when we work together.”
Transdev Blazefield
The trip left the kids buzzing – and their teacher, Angela Curran, reckons it’ll be the talk of the school for weeks.
“Being the first to travel on Harrogate’s sparkling new electric buses for The 36 was the icing on the Christmas cake for our children – every single one of them had a wonderful time, and we’re so grateful to Transdev and Enchantica’s for making this happen.
“This magical journey will be the talk of our school for many days to come – and as well as the fun of today’s experience, this is an ideal way to get their young minds thinking about getting around in a way that protects the environment for their future.”
Transdev Blazefield
Coming Soon to a Yorkshire Road Near You
Transdev Blazefield Managing Director Henri Rohard explained just how important these buses are for the future.
“Providing our first two new electric double deck buses for this magical trip to Harrogate’s Elf Village is our way of presenting a very special early gift to the children as Christmas approaches.
“The 36 is one of our most intensive services, running up to every 10 minutes between Harrogate and Leeds. Most of our existing buses on this route cover over 100,000 kilometres, or 62,100 miles, a year, with two million customer journeys per annum, and so we are carrying out thorough testing and refinement of the new vehicles ahead of their entry into service.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming our customers to our new zero emission double deck buses, each built in Britain to a unique and unrivalled specification, and custom engineered at every stage of their development to deliver a positive step change in performance.
“This superb new generation of buses, alongside our newly introduced single deck eCitaro electric buses in and around Harrogate, has been over three years in the making with a successful application for £7.8 million through ZEBRA, the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas fund, by our exceptional partner North Yorkshire Council, supporting our own investment to make this exciting project a reality.”
So, there you have it. Santa’s got competition, Yorkshire just got a little greener and a lot more stylish.
Greater Manchester has taken a bold step in public transport, completing the historic re-regulation of its bus network. This milestone, the first in England in 40 years, represents a seismic shift in how the city-region connects its communities, promotes sustainability and drives economic growth. The transformation is part of the Bee Network, an ambitious vision for a fully integrated, “London-style” public transport system by 2025.
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