Council-owned operator Reading Buses has secured £3 million in government funding to expand its electric bus fleet, bringing the total number of battery-electric double-decker buses in operation in Reading to 49.
The grant comes from the UK Department for Transport through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) 2 initiative. The funding will support the introduction of 17 new electric buses on the emerald 5 and emerald 6 routes, which serve the southern part of the borough.
Officials have not yet disclosed the bus manufacturer or specific models that will be purchased. Local authorities said the vehicles will be “high-spec new buses with high back comfy seats, heating and air conditioning.”
The new vehicles mark a significant step in Reading’s electrification program. The town already operates 24 electric buses, which began service in February 2026 on the purple 17 and claret 21 routes.
In addition, the council secured £1.35 million in funding in May 2025 for eight electric double-decker buses, which are scheduled to begin operating on the yellow 26 route connecting Southcote and Calcot later this summer. The remaining newly funded vehicles are expected to enter service by 2028.
With the latest grant, the Reading Borough Council and Reading Buses have secured a total of £9 million through government funding programs aimed at accelerating the adoption of zero-emission public transport.
Part of the funding has also been allocated to infrastructure upgrades at the operator’s Great Knollys Street Depot, including new charging stations and electrical power improvements to support the expanding fleet.
John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, welcomed the additional funding and the expansion of electric buses in the area.
“It is excellent news for bus passengers in Reading that the Council and Reading Buses have secured a further £3m of government funding for another 17 electric buses for the town,” Ennis said.
“Passenger have already been travelling on the modern and comfortable new electric buses on the purple 17 and claret 21 routes and I am looking forward to the arrival of eight more on the yellow 26 Southcote and Calcot route this summer. I am delighted that residents in south Reading and other parts of the borough will also benefit from these new buses over the next two years.”
Reading ranks among the highest bus-use areas in England outside London, with the third-highest number of bus journeys per person, making the electrification program a key element of the town’s strategy to reduce transport emissions while maintaining strong public transit usage.
