Weaver Network fleet takes shape on factory floor
BBCIn a cavernous factory 25 miles north of Belfast a row of double decker buses are queuing on the assembly line.
At various stages of completion the vehicles are among the first to be built for West Yorkshire's publicly controlled Weaver Network.
The buses are still several months away from picking up their first passengers – some have roofs on, others are little more than the bare bones of a steel chassis.
Over the coming months, a fleet of 193 of the fully electric vehicles will roll off the production line before being shipped across the Irish Sea and put to work in West Yorkshire.
On a recent visit to the Ballymena site, West Yorkshire's Mayor Tracy Brabin said: "For far too long West Yorkshire has been at the bottom of the queue when it comes to having the good stuff, these are some of the best buses in the world and I'll be so proud to see them on our streets."
When Brabin was first elected in 2021 she made bringing West Yorkshire's buses into public control one of her key priorities.
The process, also known as franchising, sees private bus companies bid to operate routes, but the frequency of services, ticket prices and overall standards are determined by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).
Brabin said: "The previous model was utterly broken, we have seen the big operators cherry pick the most profitable routes and cut back on the socially necessary ones, now we can cross subsidise and support routes."
From 2027 the familiar liveries of companies such as Arriva and FirstBus will disappear from the county's roads to be replaced by Weaver Network branding on buses, bus stations and bus stops throughout the region.
The new vehicles are expected to operate in Kirklees and parts of Leeds from April next year, allowing older diesel models to be replaced.
At a cost £100m, with funding coming from the Department for Transport, it's one the biggest new bus orders outside of London.
Interior features will include air conditioning, USB charging and more space for wheelchair users, as well as flexible areas for pushchairs and luggage.
Key to the new look will be the distinctive seat coverings being made by by Camira Fabrics, based in Meltham, near Huddersfield.
With the network named in a nod to West Yorkshire's textile heritage the fabrics will celebrate the region as well, including small motifs influenced by Yorkshire tweeds and the work of artists David Hockney, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore.
The first contracts to run services in West Yorkshire have been awarded to two firms already operating services in the region, Aberdeen-based FirstBus and French operator TransDev.
One Leeds-based company, Square Peg, spent £35,000 bidding for a contract but were unsuccessful in the first round.
Managing Director Simon Daymond said: "We've done everything we can to get involved but it's clear we're not welcome.
"If the larger operators lose work it's a temporary problem for them, but for us not winning a contract is a very real threat to the future of this 15 year old company."
Responding to Dymond's comments, a spokesperson for WYCA said smaller operators play "an important role in our region's bus network" and that contracts have been "specifically designed to encourage their participation in this process".
Signs of the new network are starting to appear in the region.
The new bus station at Heckmondwike has received the Weaver Network branding already and all bus stops across the region will eventually receive the new name.
West Yorkshire is the third mayoral combined authority area to begin franchising of bus services following Greater Manchester in 2023 and Liverpool City Region in September 2026. South Yorkshire is expected to follow in late 2027.
Brabin said the move meant the will be responsible for the Weaver Network, adding: "Hold me to account, I have promised a better bus service for the people of West Yorkshire and that's what you're going to get."
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.