First Aberdeen

[scottishtrains]

Any idea if the ex glasgow e300s will have the NSA with the current screens already fitted, or will have the new screens at the side fitted instead?

 

[fife_circle]

Any idea if the ex glasgow e300s will have the NSA with the current screens already fitted, or will have the new screens at the side fitted instead?

Was on one yesterday that had the new screen fitted but was just showing the date and time. The original screen was just showing Ferrograph.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Any idea if the ex glasgow e300s will have the NSA with the current screens already fitted, or will have the new screens at the side fitted instead?

Seen an Ex-Glasgow one this evening with a new screen fitted and the original screen removed.

 

[Volvodart]

Not all E300s have received the next stop equipment. Quite a lot of the more recent Glasgow arrivals do not have it.

 

[Jordan Adam]

It wouldn't surprise me if the contractor has a list of vehicles and its just a case of ticking vehicles off the list as they get done, there's a good chance the job was allocated prior to the recent Enviro300s arriving and as such they're excluded from the list.

The B9TLs are also due to be getting Next Stop Announcements fitted.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

It wouldn't surprise me if the contractor has a list of vehicles and its just a case of ticking vehicles off the list as they get done, there's a good chance the job was allocated prior to the recent Enviro300s arriving and as such they're excluded from the list.

The B9TLs are also due to be getting Next Stop Announcements fitted.

Everything that's still being used will need done by October next year

 

[Volvodart]

It wouldn't surprise me if the contractor has a list of vehicles and its just a case of ticking vehicles off the list as they get done, there's a good chance the job was allocated prior to the recent Enviro300s arriving and as such they're excluded from the list.

The numbers add up to the 13 E300s and 2 Streetlites being replaced by the 15 original hydrogen buses

Edit 19/12/2025 - At least one of these ex Glasgow buses has now received the next stop equipment.

 

[Volvodart]

The local press are reporting that Aberdeen City Council are pulling out of the green hydrogen project, a consequence of which is that the 25 hydrogen buses are likely to be sold by the Council. Wrightbus appeared to stop working on the hydrogen buses, which they had been getting ready for service, before Christmas.

An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said:-

Aberdeen City Council and bp have been engaged in ongoing discussions concerning the future viability of the hydrogen hub, prompted by significant advancements in electric vehicle (EV) technology. As manufacturers and operators increasingly favour EVs, demand for hydrogen in transport has diminished. In light of these developments, both parties are reassessing their strategic direction to align with the evolving market landscape. The Council and bp will negotiate the transfer of the Joint Venture to the Council, ensuring Aberdeen’s assets are optimised to facilitate the city’s shift towards low-carbon EV transport. The steps agreed will strengthen Aberdeen’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure, reaffirm the Council’s dedication to renewable energy, secure Best Value for the city, and, alongside First Bus Aberdeen, agree a full transition away from hydrogen in favour of electric vehicles in public transport.

 

[Ivan24]

The local press are reporting that Aberdeen City Council are pulling out of the green hydrogen project, a consequence of which is that the 25 hydrogen buses are likely to be sold by the Council. Wrightbus appeared to stop working on the hydrogen buses, which they had been getting ready for service, before Christmas.

An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said:-

I had a feeling something like this was going to happen, in recent years they’ve been so incapable of fuelling them so at least now they’ll not have to worry about it. Although what are they gonna do regarding replacements? Means they’ll be short 25 buses

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Could First possibly buy them and convert them to electric?

 

[Highland050261]

Could First possibly buy them and convert them to electric?

They would need to buy them from the council if they were to do so, but that depends on what the council wants per unit.

They could send them to Wright to have a NewPower repower completed.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

They would need to buy them from the council if they were to do so.

The buses are already First spec and very low mileage. They're also in the process of electrifying a lot of Streetdecks so would surely be a sensible option.

 

[Volvodart]

The buses are already First spec and very low mileage. They're also in the process of electrifying a lot of Streetdecks so would surely be a sensible option.

They have not got a lot of seats downstairs, so that would need sorting too to make them useful.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

They have not got a lot of seats downstairs, so that would need sorting too to make them useful.

They were pretty basic spec inside but I guess deckers are deckers. Such a shame they’ve been out of service so long. It would allow them to return to service with a little reconfiguration.

 

[Highland050261]

They would need to get them cheaply if they were to buy them, as the estimated repower cost is £200,000 × 25 buses — that’s a hefty repower bill.

 

[mattb7tl]

Hydrogen buses are silly considering electric already won the zero emissions race years ago. We are yet to see a single operator that has hydrogen vehicles reliably on the road.

Not to mention the fact it takes 2-3x more electric (some say more) to fill a hydrogen vehicle than it does to charge an electric vehicle.

 

[Volvodart]

They would need to get them cheaply if they were to buy them, as the estimated repower cost is £200,000 × 25 buses — that’s a hefty repower bill.

It is probably not as simple as replacing a diesel engine. If the hydrogen tanks need removed it is quite a big job. Plus the planning needed, regulatory approval needed and the time required to do it.

 

[47550]

I think I read somewhere that the 20 Liverpool Hydrogen deckers are going to be converted to battery. They’ve done even less mileage than the Aberdeen ones ! Makes sense to do if they’re not going to see service and I can’t see any other operators buying them.

 

[Volvodart]

I think I read somewhere that the 20 Liverpool Hydrogen deckers are going to be converted to battery. They’ve done even less mileage than the Aberdeen ones ! Makes sense to do if they’re not going to see service and I can’t see any other operators buying them.

Sizewell C construction is supposed to be getting a fleet of hydrogen buses. They could be refurbished for that.

 

[gka472l]

I think I read somewhere that the 20 Liverpool Hydrogen deckers are going to be converted to battery. They’ve done even less mileage than the Aberdeen ones ! Makes sense to do if they’re not going to see service and I can’t see any other operators buying them.

Correct, the Liverpool ones are being converted to electric.....apparently the drivetrain is very similar to the E400EV so I'm told.

 

[Highland050261]

It is probably not as simple as replacing a diesel engine. If the hydrogen tanks need removed it is quite a big job. Plus the planning needed, regulatory approval needed and the time required to do it.

Would the Hydroliners currently use the same electric motors as the Electroliners?

 

[Volvodart]

Would the Hydroliners currently use the same electric motors as the Electroliners?

I think that they are totally different, the hydrogens were devised by the old regime and the electric buses under Mr Bamford's ownership.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Unless they make a deal with Aberdeen CC to get the buses for dirt cheap - First may decide they don’t want to spend the money on converting the buses and send them for scrap like they did with the hybrid E400s in Glasgow.

First Aberdeen has survived this long without them. In theory it’s not really their problem. It may be cheaper to just buy new buses/continue with their current conversions. Still a real waste regardless

 

[Dfatcontroller]

Unless they make a deal with Aberdeen CC to get the buses for dirt cheap - First may decide they don’t want to spend the money on converting the buses and send them for scrap like they did with the hybrid E400s in Glasgow.

First Aberdeen has survived this long without them. In theory it’s not really their problem. It may be cheaper to just buy new buses/continue with their current conversions. Still a real waste regardless

First won't send them for scrap. First don't own them. Aberdeen CC do.

 

[Bayum]

Now on the BBC…

The world's first hydrogen double-decker bus fleet has reached the end of the road.The multi-million pound project in Aberdeen - involving 25 buses - was meant to be the future of clean public transportation, with the city billed as the global hub for hydrogen-powered buses.But the zero emissions vehicles are now being ditched, along with the ambition that 700 jobscould be created.The council announced on Thursday evening that it was to drop its hydrogen double-decker bus fleet in favour of electric vehicles following a meeting of its urgent business committee.Aberdeen City Council and oil and gas giant BP became commercial partners in 2022 for Aberdeen's hydrogen ambitions.
After a number of technical problems, the hydrogen fleet has now fallen foul of the fast pace of progress in electric vehicle technology.
The hydrogen buses have been out action since September 2024, due to problems with fuelling stations at Kittybrewster and Cove.
The council said it had been engaged in "ongoing discussions" with BP about the future viability of the city as a hydrogen hub, prompted by significant advancements in electric vehicle technology.
"As manufacturers and operators increasingly favour EVs, demand for hydrogen in transport has diminished," a statement said.
"In light of these developments, both parties are reassessing their strategic direction to align with the evolving market landscape."
The council will now negotiate the transfer of the joint venture from BP and move towards a full transition towards electric vehicles.
The council has been asked about the total cost of the project, which is understood to have run to tens of millions of pounds.
BP said it would work closely around the "next steps" with the council.
Bus operator First Bus said it remained in discussion about the future options of the fleet.

Move towards electric vehicles​

The writing has been on the wall for hydrogen buses for years, as more and more cities opted for the battery alternative.
In 2021, First Bus in Glasgow confirmed that it was investing in a fleet of 120 single and double-decker buses which could be charged very quickly overnight before spending 18 hours on the road.
More recently, the electric inter-city bus operator Ember has seen its fleet between all of Scotland's major conurbations grow to 98 vehicles.
Battery capacity and efficiency has come on enormously, meaning electric buses can be charged at incredible speeds and cover very long distances.
They cost more than the diesel equivalent, but running costs are very low, meaning operators are saving millions from the moment the vehicles hit the bus lanes.
Hydrogen, by contrast, is expensive to produce. It takes a huge amount of green electricity to create the fuel using a process called electrolysis.
And while it has the advantage that the bus can be refuelled in a matter of minutes rather than hours, that premium is now perceived as not worth paying.
Councillor Richard Brooks, the local group leader for the Scottish Conservatives, said money had been "wasted" and answers were needed.
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that this was on the horizon," he told BBC Scotland News.
"The disappointing thing is the reaction is so late in the day.
"I think the administration should come out and apologise to the public. They've backed the wrong horse which is easily done - let's be fair - but let's not hide away."

'A house built on sand'​

Prof Tom Baxter, an energy expert at the University of Strathclyde, described what had happened as "inevitable".
"If you look at the commercial and technical framework around hydrogen busses, they just don't work," he told BBC Scotland News.
"It was a house built on sand. A house built on assertions without making the debate, evidence informed.
"If you do the comparison with an electric bus, an electric bus will go double the distance with the same amount of power as hydrogen."
Baxter added: "On all counts, very little speaks in its favour when you compare it with the electrical alternative.
"It was based on an ill-informed policy. It's as simple as that for me."

BBC News article (1/3/26)

 

[Volvodart]

The 2 ex Hairy Haggis triaxle electric Yutongs have arrived at the depot for a Scottish Citylink contract.

 

[Volvodart]

Bustimes.org is now showing what buses are doing, but with no map obviously. We shall see how long it lasts this time!

 

[Sealink]

Aberdeen's failed hydrogen bus fleet cost almost £14m


The world's first hydrogen double-decker bus fleet which was ditched in Aberdeen cost almost £14m, figures have revealed.

Following a freedom of information (FoI) request by STV, the council has now said that the bus fleet cost about £13.9m.

 

[mattb7tl]

Twice the operating cost, up to three times the amount of energy to charge a bus (some say more), and far more prone to failures around charging infrastructure and storage. The infrastructure and storage issues could be fixed but when electrics are fundamentally better options that exist and function, why would you?

 

[scosutsut]

Hydrogen looks great on paper but not so in reality.

Particularly the "go to the pump for a few minutes and get ~500 miles range" aspect we are so used to with ICE vehicles.

Had it got the worldwide investment that battery got perhaps the various shortcomings would have been resolved, but it looks increasingly unlikely.

What will happen to the 25 Streetdecks. I dare say the conversion they'd need would cost that much they'll get peanuts for them, if anything at all.