the 36

Many of our branded bus routes are household names in the communities they serve – and none more so than The 36, our premium quality, zero-emission service linking Harrogate with Leeds and Ripon. 

With a frequent service running up to every 10 minutes between Harrogate and Leeds, and great value fares over 50 per cent cheaper than the train at peak times, no wonder The 36 is so popular with thousands of customers every week. 

Transdev has invested in 19 new British built Alexander Dennis Enviro 400EV fully electric double deck buses for the route – in service and being delivered in 2025 to provide a step up in quality on every journey. 

This new generation of battery-electric buses and the infrastructure needed to support them has been three years in the making, following a successful funding application through ZEBRA, the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) fund.  

We’re very grateful for the support of our two exceptional partners, North Yorkshire Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, in securing this significant funding to support our own investment. 

Here at Transdev, we have a proud tradition of leading the UK bus industry on The 36. The previous generation of buses were ground-breakers in terms of customer experience, with an impressive list of eye-catching on-board features, and are now bringing new levels of comfort to our Aireline service between Keighley and Leeds. 

That’s why we set out to create something truly outstanding for our customers with our all-new electric buses, packed from the ground up with new and exciting design elements alongside features our customers know and love. 

On the top deck, the two-plus-one seating delivers comfort and privacy in equal measure, with rarely-seen recliners on the single seats. Every seat is covered with ethically-sourced fabric offering coach-style comfort, with the results of our customer surveys helping to inform the design. 

The attention to detail continues with double-glazed windows resisting misting in rainy weather, and on the lower deck, our ‘Library 36 Bookclub’, brought to you in partnership with Harrogate International Festivals, offers a unique and free to use on-board library. 

Next time you travel with us on The 36, you’re free to take a book away from our Library 36 Bookclub shelf on the lower deck, on the right as you board the bus – and we encourage you to leave a book in return, as together we can offer an ever-changing supply of great reads. 

Making travel accessible to all is in our DNA – with this in mind, our new buses on The 36 now feature two fully accessible wheelchair bays, side by side on the lower deck. Each has a forward-facing screen providing full colour, high definition graphics feeding constantly updated information on journey times and connections with other bus and rail services at key connection points. 

Plan your next journey on The 36 with our exclusive guide to the route and its many attractions here: