£2.2m bid to electrify X4 bus service between Peterborough, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and Northampton rejected by Government

A major bid for funding to buy electric buses on the X4 route has been turned down by the Government.

North Northamptonshire Council submitted a bid for the Department for Transport’s second round of Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA 2) funding in December 2023.

The authority wanted £2.2m to fund Stagecoach buses on the trans-county route that runs from Peterborough, through rural parts of east Northamptonshire, to Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and on to Northampton.

It would have been a milestone for the council in its drive to reduce harmful emissions.

But the bid was rejected. The Government has not made public the reasons why.

Neighbouring West Northamptonshire Council was handed £9.4m of ZEBRA funding to introduce 51 electric buses across Northampton, one of the largest grants awarded to the 25 successful councils across the country. Their scheme will significantly reduce carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions in the town.

NNC was given £2m from a separate Government pot in April to fund new routes in the area as part of its Bus Service Improvement Plan.

The council’s executive member for travel Councillor Matt Binley (Con, Queensway) said: “Connecting communities is a priority for the council and playing our part in developing a sustainable public transport network is key to this.

“Bids were invited to receive money from the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area 2 fund to support the introduction of zero emission buses in local authority areas.

“Unfortunately the Council was not successful with its £2.2million bid on this occasion but the authority will bid again, should the opportunity arise.

“More widely, a report before the Council’s executive this month discussed other Department of Transport funding for improvements to facilities and bus services across North Northants under the Bus Service Improvement Plan.

“Improvements include new services such as in Brambleside Kettering and between Corby and Weldon and enhanced services, including more frequent journeys in Queensway, Wellingborough and between Thrapston and Kettering.”

The Campaign for Better Transport has repeatedly called for an increase in funding and improvements to the way bus grants are allocated by the Government. Nearly a quarter of bus services were lost in the past decade, with rural counties and services at a disadvantage over urban counterparts.