Wrightbus signs deal for largest ever order

Ballymena bus manufacturer Wrightbus has signed a deal to supply more than 1,000 buses to operator Go-Ahead over the next three years.

The company said it is the largest deal in its 78-year history and will be worth up to half a billion pounds.

Go-Ahead is an international transport group and one of the UK’s largest public service providers.

Wrightbus has had a strong 2024 with 786 buses registered so far this year and it now employs more than 2,000 people.

It was bought out of administration in 2019 by Jo Bamford.

The company said the new deal will secure 500 jobs and support an additional 1,500 across the UK supply chain.

Wrightbus chief executive Jean-Marc Gales said the deal is “hugely significant not just for Wrightbus and for Ballymena, but for the wider United Kingdom”.

A training and apprenticeships fund has been set up with placements for students with special educational needs and young people not in training or education.

Chief executive of Go-Ahead Bus, Matt Carney, said the investment will “accelerate the transition to zero-emission fleet across the UK”.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the announcement shows the confidence industry has in investing in the UK.