Work has begun at First Bus’ Great Yarmouth depot to prepare the site for electric buses, marking the next phase in the rollout of zero emission public transport across Norfolk.
The project at the Caister Road site forms part of a further £13.8 million investment, £8.9 million of which is being funded by First Bus, with the remainder funded through a grant from Norfolk County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
This investment will support the introduction of 10 electric buses, which will operate on Service 8, connecting James Paget University Hospital with Caister via Great Yarmouth town centre.
The programme also includes the installation of high-power charging infrastructure at the depot.
These electric buses are expected to be in operation by the Autumn and, once complete, will operate reliably on local routes.
As part of the same wider programme, works are expected to begin at First Bus’s Vulcan Road depot in Norwich in the coming months.
The depot will accommodate 14 electric buses operating on routes linking communities in Thorpe Marriott, Horsford, Mulbarton and Ives Road with Norwich city centre.
The depot upgrade builds on the successful transformation of First Bus’s Roundtree Way depot in Norwich, where 70 electric buses entered service in 2024 following a £37.2 million investment in vehicles and infrastructure.
Simon Mathieson, Managing Director of First Bus East of England, said: “This next phase of investment, supported by BSIP funding and our own continued commitment, allows us to bring the benefits of electric buses to Great Yarmouth and more communities across Norfolk.”
