A partnership between Kent, Surrey and West Sussex County Councils, Metrobus (Go Ahead) and London Gatwick has won a bid for funding to launch a new fleet of 43 hydrogen buses.
The Department for Transport has awarded the partnership over £10m which combined with £11.6m from Metrobus (Go Ahead) and almost £3m from the other partners brings the total for the project to over £24m.
The buses will operate across Kent, Surrey and Sussex to connect rural areas with local towns and London Gatwick. Destinations will include Caterham, Dorking, Redhill, Burgess Hill, Crawley, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Worthing, Brighton and Tunbridge Wells. When fully operational, it will be one of the biggest fleets of hydrogen powered buses in the country and the only one operating in rural areas.
Nick Hill, commercial director, Metrobus said, “We are delighted to be awarded match funding from the government’s ZEBRA 2 fund for 43 new hydrogen buses making our hydrogen fleet one of the biggest in the country. Our contribution to this project is £11.6m which we consider to be a critical investment in providing zero emission buses on the Metrobus network for our customers.
“Buses are one of the most sustainable ways to travel. Hydrogen buses release zero emissions at the tailpipe, helping to reduce carbon emissions and create cleaner air for everyone.
“This project is an excellent example of what can be achieved through partnership working by putting the transport needs of local people first.”
