Stagecoach South’s electric “silent revolution” underway - with 11 buses on their way to Hampshire
Stagecoach South’s transition to zero-emission transport is underway across the South of England, beginning with the arrival of new electric buses in Surrey and Blackwater Valley and extending into confirmed plans for large-scale infrastructure investment in Hampshire.
A stakeholder event at Guildford Pavillion brought together representatives from Surrey County Council, Rushmoor Borough Council, community organisations including the RAAG Reaching Accessibility Awareness Group, and industry partners to welcome 22 new electric double decker buses now entering service across Surrey and Blackwater Valley.
The event marked a key milestone in a wider partnership between Stagecoach South and Surrey County Council through the Surrey Greener Futures programme, supporting the long-term ambition of delivering a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.
The new vehicles will operate on key routes including services linking Aldershot, Farnborough, Frimley, Camberley, Old Dean and Guildford, forming part of the first visible phase of Stagecoach South’s wider electrification programme.
Alongside this rollout, Hampshire County Council has confirmed a £3.4 million investment through its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) to support the development of charging and power infrastructure at Stagecoach’s Farlington depot in Portsmouth.
The funding will enable upgraded electrical systems, enhanced grid connections and depot charging infrastructure designed to support the introduction of a significantly expanded electric fleet.
Once deployed, the buses are expected to operate across routes serving Portsmouth, Havant, Hayling Island, Waterlooville and Petersfield, significantly extending zero-emission travel across Hampshire and building on the early phase already visible in Surrey.
In addition, 11 electric buses are planned for Service 700 between Portsmouth and Chichester through funding support from West Sussex County Council, helping to expand zero-emission operations along the South Coast and strengthen cross-county sustainable transport links.
Together, the Surrey rollout, Hampshire infrastructure plans and the further 11 electric buses, form the opening stages of what Stagecoach South has described as its wider “silent revolution”, a phased transition combining visible fleet upgrades with the infrastructure required to scale electric operations across the region.
Marc Reddy, Managing Director of Stagecoach South, said: “What we are seeing across the South is the beginning of a long-term transformation. Surrey represents the first visible phase of this transition, while Hampshire shows how we will scale it through targeted infrastructure investment and partnership working.
“This is about delivering a cleaner, quieter and more accessible bus network for the communities we serve, built on strong collaboration with local authorities, industry partners and local communities.”
Steve Bax, Deputy Cabinet Member for Highways at Surrey County Council said, “I’m delighted that Surrey residents will benefit from 22 new electric buses with additional accessibility features, to add to the county’s growing fleet of cleaner, greener buses.
Introducing these buses is expected to deliver an estimated carbon saving of fifteen tonnes over their lifetime, which is great news for residents and for everyone travelling in and out of Surrey.
As well as our £2.7m investment into boosting these Stagecoach services, we’ve also invested £6.3m in more ultra-low and zero emission minibuses, £9m in bus priority measures to ensure Surrey buses turn up on time, and £1.4m in improving information for passengers at bus stops.
Our Surrey LINK card gives young people half-price bus travel and we’ve expanded our on-demand Surrey Connect bus services to cover areas where there are limited fixed bus routes, giving more options to travel by bus for all residents right across Surrey, particularly in our rural areas.”
Councillor Steve Forster, Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Passenger Transport, said: “I’m delighted to confirm funding through our Bus Service Improvement Plan for upgrades at Farlington depot. This investment will help unlock commercial funding for new electric buses and speed up the move to cleaner, zero-emission travel across Hampshire.
“It’s all part of our wider aim to make bus journeys more appealing – with services that are faster, more frequent and more reliable – while also cutting congestion and improving air quality for our communities.”