Nobina wins contract for Umeå urban area, all routes to feature electric buses
Nobina will begin operating traffic in Umeå in June 2026. This follows the decision by Länstrafiken Västerbotten, which awarded the contract on Wednesday. The agreement includes 75 electric buses across six routes and extends over 12 years, until June 2038.
With this award, Nobina returns to operate the Umeå urban area, also known as ULTRA traffic. A key requirement of the contract is for the service to be entirely powered by electric buses, meaning the entire Umeå urban area will benefit from fully electrified bus traffic. The fleet will consist of 75 buses, with about 50 new buses set to be in operation by the start date in June 2026. The remaining 25 will be transferred from the current operator and replaced with new buses later in the contract term.
The traffic includes six lines with continuous daily service. Lines 1 and 8 handle approximately 60 percent of total passengers, while the other lines operate primarily during peak hours. Additionally, there is a dedicated line for Umeå Airport, scheduled to align with flight arrivals and departures.
“It’s fantastic for Nobina to be returning to Umeå, and even better that we’ll be bringing a quiet, flexible fleet of electric buses for the entire city’s bus traffic. Together with Länstrafiken, we’re excited to further develop services to support the municipality’s ambitious goals for sustainable travel. We’re looking forward to taking the next in our journey with even more, and even more satisfied, passengers,” says Martin Pagrotsky, Managing Director of Nobina Sweden.
Drivers and buses will be stationed at the Västerslätt depot as specified in the contract.
The award decision can be appealed until November 25.
