The board of directors of the Flemish Transport Company De Lijn has started a new purchase procedure to order up to 1,250 emission-free buses of various types with lengths from approximately 8.5 to 24 meters.

This procedure will run in parallel to the framework agreement for a maximum of 350 standard e-buses that was awarded last year. Last year, De Lijn ordered 60 battery-electric buses with a length of 12 meters from Van Hool (36) and VDL (24).

Within the financing framework of the coming years, De Lijn will remove a maximum of EUR3 and EUR4 buses from the fleet and replace them with emission-free battery buses. These old buses are responsible for most of the vehicle fleet’s emissions.

De Lijn opted for two framework agreements for a term of six years. Within each lot of the framework agreements, the maximum number of vehicles that can be purchased is indicated. The effective number that will be purchased will depend on technology developments during the term of the framework agreement. The largest project contains the following lots:

• Articulated e-buses (length approx. 18 meters, maximum 500 buses)

• Standard e-buses (length approx. 12 meters, maximum 500 buses)

• City e-buses (length approx. 10 meters, maximum 75 buses)

• E-HOV buses (high-quality public transport such as the Ringtrambus) (length approx. 18 meters, maximum 75 buses)

• E-HOV buses (length approx. 24 meters, maximum 75 buses)

The buses in this large framework agreement will be purchased in phases depending on the needs and the network.

In addition, De Lijn has also published a framework agreement for a maximum of 25 midi buses (length approx. 8 meters). These e-buses, which can transport approximately 50 passengers, will be included in a separate tender. This allows De Lijn to respond to specific demands from cities and municipalities for smaller buses. The first midi e-buses will be ordered later this year, with expected commissioning in Bruges in the summer of 2023.