A London bus company is set to take over a key service in the county and create Kent’s first all electric bus network as part of a £110million deal contract.

Go-Ahead London provides nearly a quarter of bus services in the capital, and will take the wheel of the Fastrack route between Dartford, Gravesend, Bluewater, Darent Valley Hospital and Ebbsfleet International, run by Arriva.

The 15-year deal comes as the owners of Arriva are exploring options for a sale of its UK operations and its businesses abroad are being sold off.

At a meeting of Dartford council’s Joint Transportation Board on Tuesday last week, Shane Hymers, public transport network developer for KCC told members: “Initially they [Go-Ahead London] are going to run it from their Bexleyheath depot for the first year, and then they’re going to build a new depot in Kent on the Fastrack route, and it will be a purpose-built electric depot for Fastrack, so we’re absolutely delighted about that.”

He added: “A new major operator is coming to town, they’ve made no secret of the fact that they do see Fastrack as the thin end of the wedge and have plans to develop a network in Kent. I’m sure if gaps do emerge, if they’re commercially viable they will be picked up.”

The fleet of 28 brand new Irizar ie Trams on the network, which will be powered by inverted electric pantograph technology, will serve the route is set to be entirely comprised of electric buses and will create 100 jobs.

KCC’s officer told councillors that the Fastrack service was “far exceeding pre-covid forecasts for patronage growth”.

The government introduced a £2 fare cap for most bus journeys around the country on January 1 and announced last month that from November 1 the cap will rise to £2.50 and last until November 2024.

The fare cap “has had an impact not just on Fastrack patronage but on all bus patronage,” he continued.

“We had our reservations about it and it just created another cliff edge but actually it’s been quite a successful scheme.”

Cllr Avtar Sandhu (Con) told members he recently spoke to a group of residents who, when travelling with two people who were wheelchair-bound, a bus could only take one wheelchair.

Cllr Sandhu queried how many wheelchair spaces the new buses would have, and Mr Hymers confirmed “all new buses built from this year have to have the option for two spaces, and the new Fastrack electric fleet will comply with that”.

After the meeting, My Hymers said: “We are extremely proud that this [Fastrack] service has been recognised as one of the fastest growing services in the UK.

“We are currently in a cooling off period with regard to the new contract. However, when confirmed, this will be an unprecedented 15 year contract and see the birth of Kent’s first electric bus network.

“Against a backdrop of a national decline in bus usage post-pandemic, the national £2 bus scheme has undoubtedly enhanced this growth. The main factor, however, is a focus on discounts and direct services for local businesses, including the recently opened Amazon LCY3 site, which accounts for 1,700 trips a day on Fastrack.”

Cllr David Brazier, cabinet member for highways and transport at Kent County Council said: “Our flagship Fastrack Bus Rapid Transit service is a singular tool designed to enable continued economic development and sustainable regeneration in Kent, crucially helping to prevent unacceptable traffic congestion in and around the key traffic interchange, the Dartford Crossing.

“Fastrack’s new zero-emission fleet will further improve air quality and visibly set the trend for local communities and other industries.

“Through the National Bus Strategy, Kent County Council is working even closer with our bus operators, and it is only through these strong partnerships that we can achieve the bold ambitions that we have set for ourselves. We look forward to welcoming Go-Ahead to Kent.”

The Amazon depot, near the Dartford Crossing, opened in 2021 and has its own Fastrack service which operates between Dartford and Gravesend at shift changeover times.

Go-Ahead London, who will operate the Fastrack service from December 2024, said it was unable to comment.

A spokesman for Kent County Council confirmed Go-Ahead London has won the 15-year contract.