Go North East trials UK’s first 6-cylinder bus as part of £5million investment

Go North East, the region’s largest bus company, has invested £5million into new, environmentally friendly buses from Wrightbus, a UK-based bus manufacturer.

As part of the investment, Go North East has taken delivery of the UK’s first 7.7-litre, 6-cylinder Daimler OM936 engined StreetDeck.

This unique bus has the same engine that is fitted to a Mercedes-Benz Citaro, and delivers more power compared to the standard 5.1-litre 4-cylinder OM934 engined StreetDecks that the bus company already has in its fleet.

Fitted with Wrightbus' third generation of 'Micro-Hybrid' technology, the bus offers excellent environmental credentials, helping reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emission levels.

The bus, which comes with a higher top speed of 62mph, will be trialled across all of Go North East’s interurban X-lines express routes, evaluating suitability and comparing against the native 5.1-litre 4-cylinder OM934 engined StreetDecks.

The bus has been recently operating on Go North East’s X-lines X1 route which serves Easington Lane, Houghton-le-Spring, Washington, Gateshead and Newcastle.

Martijn Gilbert, managing director at Go North East, said: “We’re delighted to have the UK’s first 6-cylinder Wright StreetDeck bus, and we hope that it will help shape the future of investment for our interurban express routes.

“The bus, which is part of our wider £5million investment into new buses from Wrightbus, provides enhanced power, whilst maintaining our commitment to cleaner, greener air across the region.”

Buta Atwal, Wrightbus’ CEO, added: ““Wrightbus are once again delighted to have been chosen to supply our vehicles to Go North East.

“These vehicles represent the first vehicles supplied as part of the Bamford Bus Company and we are excited that the new 6-cylinder option also represents a new era for Streetdeck and further strengthens our offering providing a new experience for drivers, passengers and operators whilst continuing to offer excellent value for money.

“Martijn, Colin and the team are at the forefront of innovation in our industry and we look forward to continuing to work together to bring products and solutions to the market to help delight our customers.”

To find out more about Go North East, visit www.gonortheast.co.uk.