BALLYMENA manufacturer Wrightbus has secured another major order from one of Britain's largest transport operators.
FirstBus has increased its original order for 193 electric buses placed in August 2022 to 310.
The addition of the 117 buses is expected to take the total value of the order from £81 million to around £141m.
The UK Government has backed the company with a total of £63m from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Buses Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme.
The First Group said its original order for 193 vehicles was already the largest ever order placed for electric buses in the UK outside London.
The expansion will see the new electric Wrightbus-made vehicles rolled out in Yorkshire, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Hampshire.
Commenting on the government subsidy for FirstBus, UK Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “Buses are the most popular form of public transport, and these new British-built zero emission buses will support hundreds of high-quality manufacturing jobs in Northern Ireland, grow our economy and help clean up the air in towns and cities across the country.
“We’re providing an additional £25.3m to roll out 117 new buses to provide residents in Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Portsmouth with better, cleaner and quieter journeys, as we step up a gear to reach net zero faster and level up transport across the country.”
MP for the constituency where Wrightbus is based, Ian Paisley Junior, said the company had employed 1,000 people since being bought out of administration by Jo Bamford in late 2019.
“One of the reasons for this is that it makes the best buses on the market. I’m proud that councils in England are choosing Ballymena-made buses to improve air quality in their towns and cities, and would like to congratulate all members of the Wrightbus team on another major order.
“Once again the best workforce making the best product wins results.”
