RAPID progress has been made to build a brand new bus depot for Warrington.

The site, located near the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Dallam Lane, will replace the current Warrington’s Own Buses depot near Brian Bevan Island.

The £10million facility will be home to one of the largest fleets of all-electric buses in the UK.

But while work on the structure is almost complete, the depot will not welcome the new bus fleet until around this time next year.

Explaining why, a Warrington Borough Council spokesman said: “Progress is being made on the new bus depot for Warrington’s Own Buses.

“Construction of the depot building and hardstanding, where the buses will be parked overnight and charged, will be largely completed by the end of this year.

“Following this, the electric bus chargers will be installed and the bus depot will be complete.

“A successful bid to the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Buses Regional Areas was made to buy both the electric bus chargers and new electric buses.”

The spokesman said that chargers are to be installed during the first half of 2023, with buses being delivered over the remainder of 2023 in accordance with the programme agreed with the Department for Transport.

“The new depot and electric buses are a crucial complementary part of the £16.2million Bus Service Improvement Plan recently confirmed by the Government, which will increase services and improve frequencies,” they added.

“Some improvements are already being delivered with the Super Summer Service campaign, which has been extended into October, where fares have been reduced to £2 single for adults and £1 for children after 7pm.

“From the start of 2023, these reduced fares are to be introduced throughout the day.

“Further details of this and other Bus Service Improvement Plan investments, including the introduction of bus priority measures on the A49 Winwick Road, will follow in due course.”