One of the region’s busiest bus routes to go electric today

Four new single-decker electric buses will be hitting the roads today (Wednesday 15 April), electrifying Go North East’s X66 route between Gateshead and the Metrocentre which carried more than 900,000 passengers last year.

The buses are part of a £17 million joint investment from Go North East, the North East Combined Authority and the Department for Transport. Thanks to this investment, Go North East have already introduced 25 new electric double decker buses to their fleet, operating on the Angel 21 and service 58.

Ben Gilligan, Managing Director of Go North East, says: “I’m really excited to say that our X66 service is now fully electric. Our new buses will make a huge difference to our customers and communities in Gateshead. Our passengers onboard will enjoy smoother, more comfortable journeys on modern vehicles while communities benefit from quieter, zero emission buses on their streets.”

The new buses feature a range of accessibility upgrades, such as an additional wheelchair or pram space, audio-visual next-stop announcements, hearing loops and external sounders to alert pedestrians, helping to make bus travel more inclusive for everyone.

The single-decker vehicles, manufactured in the UK by Alexander Dennis, will connect Gateshead Interchange with the Metrocentre, one of the UK’s largest shopping centres.

To celebrate their new electric fleet, in January Go North East held a gig-themed launch at the Utilita Arena Newcastle. The event brought together schoolchildren, councillors, MPs, accessibility groups and Go North East colleagues, with keynote speeches from Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor, and Simon Lightwood, Roads and Buses Minister.