Arriva to introduce 809 new buses to regional and London fleets
Arriva has announced a £340 million investment that will see 809 new buses join its regional and London fleets and the refurbishment of more than 150 existing vehicles. Upgrades to the group's property portfolio will also be made under the programme.
Over half of the new vehicles will be zero-emission. 502 of those are for regional operations and 307 are for Arriva London. Together with the refurbishment work, vehicles account for a spend of £310 million. The group will put £30 million into its property portfolio, which it says is in addition to continued investment in depot electrification work.
Alexander Dennis is the largest beneficiary of the new vehicle order. It is supplying 221 buses into regional operations and 30 into London for a total of 251. BYD is building 191 vehicles for the capital and 39 for use regionally.
The Volvo/MCV partnership will deliver 124 buses into regional fleets and 72 to London, while Wrightbus will build 118 for the regions and 14 for the capital. Of the overall procurement, the regions will see 322 new single-decks and 180 double-decks. For London, those totals are 23 and 284, respectively.
The first phase of rollout of the new buses is already underway. That includes 50 Alexander Dennis models for Arriva Yorkshire that are in the process of entering service. The group says that almost 20% of its regional bus fleet will be replaced within 18 months under the scheme.
Arriva UK Bus Managing Director Martijn Gilbert – who joined the group in 2025 – adds that the new vehicle and refurbishment programme “will transform our operations across the UK to the benefit of both customers and colleagues.”
Every UK region where Arriva operates will benefit from the investment. Once it is complete, depots in Thurmaston in Leicestershire, Dartford in Kent and Palmers Green and Thornton Heath in London will become fully battery-electric. Brixton Tram Shed depot in London is already 100% zero-emission.
Other work is in hand for Blyth, Darlington, Durham and Tamworth as part of an eight-depot roster for electrification preparation works.
Bespoke coach-style luxury vehicles part of new Nicholson brand
Woodall Nicholson – parent company of minibus specialists Mellor and Treka Bus – will turn its hand to the luxury transport sector under the Nicholson brand, with a range to include what it says are coach-style vehicles.
Those products will span tourist to VVIP specifications. They will sit alongside coachbuilt limousines built on platforms from OEMs such as Bentley and Mercedes-Benz, and a long-wheelbase luxury 4x4 programme using the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon platform.
The supplier has said that car-based projects will come first and that coach-type products will follow in Q3. Nicholson will exhibit at Euro Bus Expo at the NEC Birmingham from 3 to 5 November, which a spokesperson for Woodall Nicholson says “we are really excited about.”
The group adds that its move into luxury transport is “transformative” and leverages heritage of over more than 200 years. Woodall Nicholson can trace that back to the manufacture of horse-drawn cabs and carriages in 1820 and is today active in various markets besides small buses.
Luxury vehicles offered by Nicholson will combine “next level interior detailing with unrivalled optionality and bespoke configuration,” Woodall Nicholson says. “Backed by decades of specialist vehicle engineering and artisan expertise, each vehicle delivers the quality and luxury synonymous with British craftsmanship.”
Nicholson work will leverage the group’s technical capability and longstanding relationships with leading vehicle OEMs and other supply chain partners. It will also bring together in-house engineering knowledge and decades of artisan vehicle manufacturing experience
CEO John Randerson comments: “Under the stewardship of Guido Dumarey and the direction of the Woodall Nicholson leadership team, Nicholson represents a return to the tradition of true British artisan vehicle building – where exceptional vehicles are created in small numbers for clients that value craftsmanship, heritage, and individuality.”
Ahead of debut of the first Nicholson products, the group says it welcomes conversations with potential customers that “value luxury and exclusivity in every detail, and who are keen to combine the technical expertise of an established vehicle manufacturer with artisan craftsmanship to create a truly unique and desirable vehicle.”
South Lanarkshire Council takes 16 Treka Bus Mobility minibuses
South Lanarkshire Council has taken delivery of 16 Treka Bus Mobility accessible minibuses, supplied by the converter in a significant upgrade to the local authority’s fleet.
They are based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and have been specified to support the council’s education transport services while also giving flexibility to serve a wider range of passenger needs.
Each has seating for up to 16 passengers. Those positions can be removed quickly to give space for a maximum of six wheelchair users. PLS passenger lifts have been specified along with a Stop Safe securement system.
Treka Bus was selected to supply the minibuses after a competitive procurement process. Vehicle quality, value for money and a strong existing relationship with South Lanarkshire Council all counted in its favour, the manufacturer says.
The local authority’s Fleet Manager Steven Hardman adds that the vehicles will play “a key role in supporting our scheduled operations” and that early feedback has been positive.
“The build quality, accessibility features and overall comfort of the vehicles have aligned well with the requirements of our school transport service,” continues Mr Hardman.
“In addition, we are actively engaging with our social work department to undertake a structured trial of these vehicles within care-related and community transport settings. Should the trial continue to prove successful, we anticipate further opportunities to expand the use of Treka vehicles across a wider range of council services.”
He notes that Treka Bus was supportive and responsive throughout the procurement and delivery process for the minibuses.
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