Bradford secures £14.2m to deploy electric buses from spring 2027, 18 months ahead of schedule
By Eve
Bradford has been awarded £14.2m to accelerate its electric bus rollout, with the first vehicles due to operate from spring 2027. The funding comprises £8m from the Government's Joint Air Quality Unit and £6.2m from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and will support electric infrastructure at the Bowling Back Lane depot. The investment brings the deployment forward by 18 months and follows evidence that retrofitted Euro VI diesel buses failed to deliver expected emissions reductions.
Why it matters: The £14.2m package creates immediate depot electrification work in Bradford and signals a shift from diesel retrofit to full electric infrastructure ahead of West Yorkshire's bus franchising launch. Contractors and charge point operators should note the spring 2027 timeline for depot infrastructure delivery.