Buses of the future sat idling in Rotherham transport yard

Twenty gleaming vehicles were introduced in Merseyside to a considerable fanfare less than two years ago.

Liverpool City Region's Mayor declared the "momentous" event would help them achieve net zero by 2040.

Yet sharp-eyed locals in North Anston, Rotherham, can bear witness to the fact that at least half of those buses have reached something of an unexpected terminus.

They have spotted no fewer than TEN of the 'gold standard' buses sidelined in a yard off Ryton Rd… 90 miles away from where they should be.

The vehicles – said to be worth half a million pounds each – have been taken out of service for months and there is no date set as to when they are likely to go back on the streets of Merseyside.

Hydrogen buses are deemed to be crucial for a greener environmental future because they offer a near-zero emission, reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas output.

But at the moment, the ultra-modern transporters are sitting in the car park at Alexander Dennis, the company that manufactures zero and low-emission buses.

And it is not just Merseyside buses that are in dry dock in the Rotherham borough.

Others serving Oxford, Leeds, Harrogate and the north of Scotland are at the site.

One woman who spotted the vehicles told the Advertiser: "It's like a double-decker graveyard.

"These buses are supposed to be the future, and important to decarbonising, but they have been stuck here a while.

"I am on board with the notion of environmentally friendly transport, but all the money ploughed into researching and producing these buses seems to be wasted at the moment. It's not a good look."

A spokesman for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority explained why North Anston has become an unexpected stop for the buses.

"Ten of the hydrogen buses purchased for the Liverpool City Region's transport network are currently at Alexander Dennis Limited's facility in Anston," he confirmed.

"ADL is the manufacturer of the buses and is currently working on testing and upgrading the vehicles, which have been affected by some technical issues, so that they can re-enter passenger service."

The Authority says "a short period of driver training" will be required.

But they stressed that it isn't "related to the upgrade works and will take place once the works to the vehicles are complete and they return to the Liverpool City Region."

They said that while the buses were temporarily taken out of service for upgrade works in 2024, they: "Aren't currently able to give a timescale for their return to passenger service."

The Advertiser has approached ADL for their comments.

*Generally, several cities have experienced disruptions due to a lack of fuel or contaminated hydrogen, leading to buses being sidelined.

There are concerns about the capacity and reliability of hydrogen refueling stations, especially in areas with high demand.

Public transport operators are said to be concerned about the ability of the electricity grid to handle the increased load from future hydrogen and battery-electric fleets.