London, March 20, 2026, 18:16 GMT
Arriva is pumping £340 million into refreshing its UK bus fleet, lining up 809 new vehicles—over half are fully electric, so they’ll run with zero tailpipe emissions. This week, the company locked in another 164-bus order from Alexander Dennis, adding to its push. The first 50 of these new buses are already out on the streets in West Yorkshire.
Timing is key in West Yorkshire, with the Weaver Network set to put local buses back in public hands come 2027. Until then, councils are leaning on stopgap funding, working to patch up and expand services ahead of the switch. Arriva’s new and revamped routes in Wakefield are on the board for a May 17 launch.
Arriva laid out plans for £310 million in new buses, plus over 150 vehicles slated for refurbishment, while another £30 million targets property upgrades and depot improvements. The company expects to swap out close to 20% of its regional fleet within 18 months. Once the overhaul wraps, its UK operations are set to run more than 750 zero-emission buses.
Alexander Dennis’s newest batch includes 113 Enviro200 single-deckers and 51 Enviro400 double-deckers, all earmarked for 15 depots in England and Wales. Delivery is slated for the summer and autumn months. Earlier in the year, 57 comparable buses arrived—50 of those began service in Wakefield on March 13.
Wakefield’s local package isn’t just about fresh vehicles. An added Service 157, running hourly, brings back a direct route across Pontefract, Spital Hardwick, Castleford and Pinderfields Hospital. That’s not all—the link between Wakefield, Altofts and Normanton will shift to a 30-minute frequency, up from the old hourly schedule, according to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Wakefield Council.
Arriva UK Bus boss Martijn Gilbert called the investment proof of the group’s “long-term commitment to the UK bus market.” Alexander Dennis’s national account manager, Mark Ballam, labelled the 164-bus agreement a “record order” for Arriva’s regional business. Arriva PLC
The order isn’t concentrated with any one manufacturer. Arriva is sourcing 251 buses from Alexander Dennis, another 132 from Wrightbus, 196 units from Volvo/MCV, and 230 from BYD. That split includes 345 single-deckers and 464 double-deck buses.
Arriva’s network isn’t flipping the switch to all-electric right away. According to the company, a bit more than half of the incoming buses will run fully electric, with the remainder set to be lower-emission models. Some elements of the depot electrification plan are still tied to projects with local authorities in Blyth, Durham, Darlington and Tamworth.
Mayor Tracy Brabin isn’t holding back for franchising to kick in before making upgrades, she said. Arriva North’s managing director Richard Hoare pointed to £15 million already spent on more than 50 new buses for West Yorkshire. There’s also forward motion on a new, all-electric depot planned for Newton Bar in Wakefield, designed to accommodate as many as 125 zero-emission buses.
