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New X3 Express Puts 25,000 More Residents Within an Hour of the Airport

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Hot on the heels of the recent bus franchising update for St Helens, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has confirmed the detail behind one of its headline promises for St Helens. A brand-new X3 express service will link St Helens town centre directly to Liverpool John Lennon Airport , putting more than 25,000 extra residents within a 60-minute journey of the terminal and over 100,000 within 80 minutes once onward rail and bus connections are counted.
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£13.8m Charge Powers 24 More Electric Buses for Norfolk

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First Bus is cranking up the voltage in Norfolk with a £13.8 million boost to its electric fleet. Working alongside Norfolk County Council, the operator will add 24 battery-powered double deckers and the depot kit to keep them charged, extending zero-emission travel beyond Norwich and into Great Yarmouth by autumn 2026.

First Bus

The move builds on the 76 electric buses already gliding around Norwich, funded through a mix of £8.9 million from First and the balance via the county’s Bus Service Improvement Plan grant. Caister Road depot will be fitted out to handle ten electrics for Service 8, while Vulcan Road in Norwich will charge fourteen for routes heading to Thorpe Marriott, Horsford, Mulbarton and Ives Road.

Piers Marlow, Managing Director of First Bus East of England, said:

“We’re really pleased that more people across Norfolk will soon be able to enjoy the benefits of electric buses, and we’re proud to be working with Norfolk County Council to make this possible. Electric buses are already transforming travel in Norwich, delivering smoother, quieter journeys while helping to cut emissions, and this next phase extends those benefits to even more communities.”

Councillor Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said:

“This is a landmark moment for public transport in Norfolk. We’ve been working closely with operators to support their electrification plans, and I’m delighted that our partnership with First Bus has secured this significant investment for Norfolk.

“We know from feedback that passengers in Norwich are already enjoying the benefits that come with travelling on an electric vehicle – and now even more people will get to enjoy the enhanced passenger experience with these new buses operating in Great Yarmouth and on routes out to Mulbarton and Horsford.”

Construction at the bus depots starts later this year, with all 24 buses due to be carrying passengers by the time the leaves turn in 2026.

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