The county has significantly expanded its carbon-free public transport provision since the start of 2025.
Surrey County Council has invested £16million in 34 zero emission hydrogen buses, with 11 double deckers entering service in the past few months.
These complement 23 single deck models which have been used on routes since last October, which are capable of travelling for 600miles without refuelling. The vehicles use specialist charge points, which take 10 minutes to complete a full power-up.
‘I am delighted that all 34 of our new hydrogen buses are now serving on Surrey’s roads. It is great to be partnered with likeminded Metrobus who are also committed to providing sustainable travel options,’ said Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth at Surrey County Council.
‘I couldn’t be prouder that over half of the buses we have significantly invested in, make up the largest hydrogen bus fleet in the UK and the benefits this will bring for our residents,’ he added. ‘Our continuous investment in our bus network has contributed to almost 27 million bus passenger journeys made in Surrey last year. And over 14,500 residents aged 20 and under are benefitting from the Surrey LINK card which offers discounted bus travel around the county.’
In 2023, Environment Journal published an overview of green hydrogen applications — from fuel cells to feedstocks — and how associated technologies were likely to develop over the course of this decade. You can revisit this here. This was followed by a second long-read, which asked if green hydrogen can really become a viable alternative to keep Britain moving. Revisit the article here.
Image: Ant Rozetsky / Unsplash
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