Council’s Executive set to look at revised proposals for electric bus investment

02 June 2026

North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive will receive a report at a meeting next week on plans to introduce ten new electric buses on routes across the area.

Using external funding from the Department for Transport, the council are proposing to put funds towards the purchase of buses for use on the X46 and X47 routes.

These routes together account for around 20% of bus journeys in North Northamptonshire.

The change from the previous agreed route is due to changes in delivery timescales for depot upgrades - buses on the X46 and X47 routes are based at the Northampton depot which has already been partially upgraded for electric vehicles.

The investment is part of the council’s wider Bus Service Improvement Plan and it is anticipated that the buses would be in service by summer 2027. If the council report is approved, £1.2m of funding from central government would contribute towards the purchase of ten electric double-decker buses and associated charging infrastructure, delivered with Stagecoach - who would provide the majority of the overall project funding.

Due to a change in the timeline around the infrastructure required, we are looking at adjusting the focus of this scheme.

The new proposals plan would see electric buses used on routes that make up 20% of bus journeys in North Northamptonshire which means the scheme would have still have a significant impact for residents and passengers.

But that doesn’t mean we have forgotten about the previously agreed route, and it is anticipated that the Kettering - Desborough route would be a strong contender for electrification by the time Stagecoach are able to invest in the Kettering depot.Cllr Chris McGiffen, the council’s Executive Member for Highways and Travel

Working in partnership with North Northamptonshire to accelerate our delivery of electric buses to the network is not only exciting, it will also help us to deliver improvement to our services for our customers sooner. Customers will benefit from smoother, quieter, cleaner and more modern journeys as a result. Not only will this support and fleet investment make bus a better choice for our communities across North Northamptonshire, but this will also help us contribute to reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality for our communities.Mark Whitelocks, Managing Director for Stagecoach Midlands

North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive will meet on Tuesday 9 June and the papers are now available online. The meeting will be live streamed on YouTube.