Nottingham City Transport (NCT) has announced a partnership with Wrightbus to upgrade the fleet currently in use for its long distance Pathfinder bus service.
The bus service, which runs between Nottingham, Burton Joyce, Lowdham and Southwell, will soon utilise a set of six new ultra-low emission diesel powered double decker buses from Wrightbus.
The buses, which will be built to NCT’s specifications at Wrightbus’ factory in Northern Ireland, are set to be equipped with high back seats, two wheelchair spaces, an upper deck table and improved accessibility features such as hearing loops and passenger information displays, in addition to free Wi-Fi and USB charging facilities.
Each new vehicle will be designed to meet stricter emission limits than the buses they are set to replace, with the new fleet estimated to provide an 80% decrease in NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) emissions and lower Particulate matter (PM) emissions.
David Astill, NCT Managing Director, said:We are delighted to be working with Wrightbus to deliver a significant upgrade to our Pathfinder service, replacing buses that are over a decade old with brand new, quieter, low emission buses that will boast features that are designed for the long distance nature of the route.
As one of our longest bus routes, battery electric buses aren’t a viable or realistic option for Pathfinder 26 currently or in the immediate future, but these buses can be repowered by Wrightbus and their NewPower business in the future to be fully electric, which will be something we’ll consider when battery technology advances further.
The Pathfinder 26 service operates every 30 minutes between Monday and Saturday, with times reduced to hourly services in both the evenings and Sunday daytimes. The service provides connections to Nottingham from Southwell, NTU Brackenhurst Campus, Halloughton, Thurgarton, Gonalston, Lowdham, Burton Joyce and Gedling.
The new buses are set to be delivered and enter operation in late autumn 2025, and will be powered by a Cummins B6.7 litre six-cylinder diesel engine with a Voith DIWA.8 NXT 7-speed transmission.
Wrightbus CEO, Jean-Marc Gales, said:The combination of the latest generation of engines from Cummins and the latest technology from Voith, coupled with our industry-leading Micro Hybrid technology, means these StreetDeck Ultroliners offer optimal efficiency in the diesel market. We’re delighted that Wrightbus ultra-low emission vehicles that have been designed and built here in the UK will soon be on the streets of Nottingham, offering passengers a comfortable journey while also helping to lower emissions.
While we are proudly known for being the largest provider of zero emission buses in Europe, the fact remains that not all operators can access the funding to make the immediate switch to zero-emission.
As a leading bus manufacturer, our role is to make sure our diesel buses are as clean and efficient as possible and to ensure we can give them a second life as a zero-emission bus in the future through our NewPower business.
Our blended approach to responsible technology, which includes battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell and the cleanest technologies, ensures our customers can continue to decarbonise while maintaining financially viable operations.
