West Midlands set to approve £26m electric bus fleet for Sprint rapid transit scheme
- Safer Highways
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Plans to purchase 24 new electric buses for the long-awaited Sprint rapid transit scheme in the West Midlands are expected to be approved later this month.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Board will consider the proposal on 13 March, after the plan was already backed by the authority’s Investment Board last month.
If approved, around £26 million will be spent on the new three-door, tram-style battery electric buses and charging infrastructure, with a further £5.5 million allocated for ‘buy before you board’ ticketing equipment.
Tram-like bus service across key corridor
The Sprint scheme aims to provide a faster, high-capacity bus service between Walsall, Birmingham and Solihull, running along a continuous bus-priority corridor on the A34 and A45.
Transport for West Midlands said the new vehicles will offer tram-style features, including:
Three doors for faster boarding and alighting
Step-free accessibility with more space for wheelchairs and pushchairs
Improved passenger comfort and capacity
Integrated ticketing and easier interchange with bus, rail and Metro services
Officials say the scheme is designed to deliver a “tram-like, cross-city service” with quicker journeys and a significantly improved passenger experience.
Part of wider transformation of bus travel
A report to the WMCA Board states the benefits of the project outweigh the cost of the investment, highlighting Sprint as a key part of the region’s public transport transformation.
The report said:“Sprint is intended to be transformational, delivering a tram-like cross-city service along the A34/A45 corridor with faster, more efficient journeys and an enhanced passenger experience.”
The wider Sprint concept includes:
Extensive bus priority measures
Enhanced bus stops and shelters
Tram-style vehicles
Streamlined ticketing arrangements
Infrastructure for the project — including new stops, bus lanes and signal priority — is expected to be completed by March 2027.
Project delayed since original announcement
The Sprint scheme was originally announced in 2018, with an initial target to open in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
However, the programme has faced several delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and rising construction costs.
Transport leaders say the introduction of bus franchising in the West Midlands has now created the opportunity to deliver the vehicles and ticketing system as part of a fully integrated public transport network.
Although Sprint requires less investment than the West Midlands Metro tram network, officials say it will still represent a major step forward compared with traditional bus services.