The wait is almost over! I have been informed that brand new electric buses are set to begin hitting the streets of north Birmingham from Monday 27th May 2024.
Following on from the replacement of diesel double-deck buses at Coventry garage last year, NX’s Perry Barr garage is the first West Midlands depot to get the full electric upgrade treatment.
The first batch of 42 vehicles are prepped and ready to enter service from Monday 27th May 2024, and will be utilised on all of Perry Barr’s double-deck routes. For the benefit of those who may not know, they are:
- 7 – Birmingham to Perry Common
- 16 – Birmingham to Great Barr
- 33 – Birmingham to Pheasey
- 52 – Birmingham to Perry Beeches
- 65 – Birmingham to Perry Common
- 67 – Birmingham to Castle Vale
- 101 – Birmingham to Handsworth
- 907 – Birmingham to Sutton Coldfield
- X3 – Birmingham to Lichfield
- X4 – Birmingham to Falcon Lodge
- X5 – Birmingham to Roughley
- X14 – Birmingham to Sutton Coldfield
The remainder of Perry Barr’s diesel double decks will then be replaced over the following few months.
It begins an interesting period, as by my reckoning at my last count, Perry Barr have 102 diesel double-decks. I don’t expect their 4 Scania OmniCities will be deployed elsewhere due to their age and being non-standard in the fleet, but that leaves 98 vehicles that could be cascaded to other garages to replace other older double-decks elsewhere.
Of course there are yet more of these to come, this is the first part of a total order of 300 electric double-deck buses to be delivered into service by early next year. As well as displacing older double-decks, we can also expect to see the number of single-decks reduced significantly.
Featured image (c) Tony Hunter, WM Buses In Photos, used as always with permission
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Thought Perry Barr being the most modern depot would be the first to convert to EV on a large scale ( I know YW has the number 6 route) going to be interesting though as a lot of routes just don’t have the call for double decks or in some cases (4,4H,4M) banned due to Sandwell and Dudley bridge which has had its height signs changed to stop bridge strikes ( yes I know in the past double deckers were used under it). Hope NXWM are looking at single deck EV buses too.
Yes, there will still be a requirement for single-deck vehicles for that reason, but not as many will be needed. NXWM have already trialled a couple of single-deck EV demonstrators recently – I did have the pleasure of travelling on the Mercedes eCitaro last year when it was at Yardley Wood for a few days on trial in public service – and while I can’t say any more, I do understand that NX are ready to place an order once they decide which type they want.
Here we go again, Birmingham getting their nice new buses then we the black country garages get their old stock but there again we mustn’t let Birmingham City and its surrounding areas get polluted, there is one consultation the metro is ploughing its way from Wednesbury to merryhill via dudley, enuf said.
I can’t say any more at this time but all I will say is that I know at least one Black Country garage is getting brand new electrics next year.
Won’t be park lane they are getting PB diesel Platinums
For the short term, yes they are, so that any older non-Euro6 Tridents can be disposed of.