Update: Wolverhampton going electric in new bus delivery

I wrote a ‘speculative’ piece last month about the impending arrival of more new electric buses, and I’m happy to post this follow up to provide a further update.

As I wrote previously, the latest delivery is of 130 brand new Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliners (as pictured above), and I have now been advised that 97 will be heading to Wolverhampton garage, with the remaining 33 being delivered to Perry Barr.

Wolverhampton

The garage at Wolverhampton is currently in the process of having charging equipment installed and electricity supply upgraded. Despite what I speculated, I’m told the aim is to have a good number of these in active service before the end of this year.

97 is a significant investment of vehicles into this garage, considering at my last count back in June, they had just over 90 double-deck vehicles in total. While I don’t expect they’ll all be replaced, I can see a good number of their diesel double-decks going to Acocks Green, Walsall and West Bromwich, to replace more elderly double-decks still in service at those garages. And we could even see a reduction in the number of single-decks, with some of their Wright Eclipses going elsewhere to replace older Scania OmniLinks.

Perry Barr

This garage will have additional chargers installed which will accommodate both charging systems, though I’m not sure yet when this is expected to be completed.

The 33 new Electroliners will allow some of the existing BYD Enviro400EVs to go to Coventry, so that their remaining diesel single-decks can be removed, thus completing the ‘All Electric Bus City’ project at that garage.

I also understand that some BYDs will also head to Yardley Wood garage, which I assume will allow for the last few Scania OmniLinks there to be removed, leaving the handful of recently-transferred Enviro200 single-decks for use on the 27 service.

The future…

With bus franchising impending, and due to begin in 2027 and completed by 2029, this is most likely the last investment in new vehicles that National Express will be making, so once this delivery is complete and in service by early next year, it is doubtful that we’ll see any more new electric vehicles being ordered.

Featured image (c) Tony Hunter, WM Buses In Photos, used as always with permission