SOUTH YORKSHIRE TAKES CONTROL OF BUS DEPOTS AS REGION PREPARES FOR PUBLICLY RUN SERVICES

Published 26 March 2026 at 9:30am

South Yorkshire has reached an important milestone on the road to publicly run bus services today (Thursday 26 March), with South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) securing the purchase of five depots from private bus operators. This brings every major depot in the region into public ownership well ahead of when the first franchised buses hit the road in September 2027.   

The depots at Olive Grove, Ecclesfield and Holbrook in Sheffield, Rawmarsh in Rotherham, Wakefield Road in Barnsley, along with the already publicly owned Leger Way depot in Doncaster, form the operational backbone of South Yorkshire’s bus network.   

Under the agreement, First Bus and Stagecoach will lease the depots back from SYMCA. This is part of the wider bus franchising programme of £350 million that includes depot acquisition, electrification, upgrades and purchase of new fleet. 

This investment will support the shift towards a cleaner, more reliable and more efficient bus fleet. All depots will receive upgraded power infrastructure and new dynamic charging equipment to support zero emission vehicles. Staff welfare areas will be refurbished, new office buildings will be built at Ecclesfield and Rawmarsh to replace temporary structures, and Olive Grove depot will undergo essential roof repairs.  

SYMCA is finalising fleet plans for each depot. Early projections include more than 220 new buses for Olive Grove and around 110 for Leger Way, with future depot allocations to be confirmed. From September 2027, at least 70 per cent of new buses entering service across Doncaster and Sheffield will be zero emission, with ambitions to go further. All buses allocated to Olive Grove during the first phase of the rollout will be zero emissions. This builds on the recently announced £33.4 million of government funding, which will support the introduction of more than 180 zero emission buses in Sheffield.  

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said:  

“This is a significant moment for South Yorkshire. Bringing every depot into public ownership well in advance of bus franchising means we’re putting real foundations in place for a network that is reliable, affordable and works for all of us. It’s exactly what taking back control of our public transport looks like. As we roll out the South Yorkshire People’s Network, we’re creating one clearer, simpler and more connected transport system, and these depots will be right at the heart of making that happen.” 

Matt Kitchin, Managing Director of Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: 

“We are very pleased to be working with Mayor Coppard to complete the transition of depots to public ownership, in a way that best avoids disruption for our loyal customers and colleagues across the region. 

“As the operator of the largest zero-emission electric bus fleet in the UK, we are looking forward to contributing our extensive expertise in electrifying depots and introducing new electric fleets to the South Yorkshire bus network. 

“Our experience has shown that our customers and colleagues hugely appreciate electric vehicles as they're quieter, smoother and more reliable, helping local people to get to work, access services, and to meet friends and family, and so we are excited to work in partnership to provide the best services for South Yorkshire.” 

Zoe Hands, Managing Director for First Bus in South Yorkshire, said:  

“We are delighted to work with South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard to ensure his transition towards franchising progresses smoothly. Through strong collaboration, we are committed to playing our part in delivering his vision for bus services in the region. This is a milestone in that transition and strengthens our progressive partnership with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.  

“We have ambitious plans to continue improving services by sharing our expertise and decades of experience, helping the authority achieve its net zero targets by electrifying the Olive Grove depot and introducing cleaner, greener and more reliable electric buses across South Yorkshire.”  

Under the new franchised system, SYMCA will set routes, timetables, fares and service standards, with revenue reinvested directly back into improving bus services for local people.

The transition will begin in 2027 with Doncaster and most of Sheffield, followed by Barnsley and Rotherham in 2028, with the remaining areas of Sheffield completing the move to public control in 2029. Services will be delivered by operators appointed through a competitive procurement process beginning later this spring.