Sunday, 24 January 2016

The Alexander Dennis Enviro400H City



The Alexander Dennis Enviro400H City is a diesel-electric hybrid bus with bodywork feature design cues based on the Wrightbus New Routemaster, a 3 door 2 staircase hybrid bus. On the engineering side it has a Cummins four-cylinder, 4.5 litre iSBe engine; BAE Systems’ HybriDrive technology and the latest generation of Lithium-ion batteries.

Currently the buses are on London Buses route 78 which goes from Nunhead to Shoreditch via Peckham and Tower Bridge and is operated by Arriva from Ash Grove (AE) Garage.


Here is the video


London Buses Route 78
Operated by Arriva London (AE Garage)
Alexander Dennis Enviro400H City
HA10 LK65BZG
Filmed on 19th January 2016

Alexander Dennis have announced that Blackpool Transport (a municipal bus company owned by Blackpool Borough Council) has invested £2 million for 10 Enviro400H City buses!

So according to the calculation, £2 million divided by 10 is £200,000 per bus! Compare that to the 3 door 2 staircase hybrid bus known as the Wrightbus New Routemaster which costs £354,500 per bus!


As well as a stylish new interior and exterior look, including a glazed stairwell the new 10.5m double decks will have E-leather seats, wood-effect floors, Wi-Fi and USB charging points, next stop visuals and audio announcements.

They will be powered by the latest Euro6, low-emission technology and come complete with fuel saving smart accessories and stop-start capability. 

Built by Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) the new buses will be delivered in the summer of this year and will be the first one-door variants of the recently introduced City bus. They will have 27 seats and a wheelchair location on the lower deck, and 45 seats in the upper level.

They will operate on the high profile Palladium service (Route 9), between Blackpool town centre and Cleveleys, and replace five Volvo Olympian double decks and five Optare Solo midi buses.

Jane Cole is Managing Director of Blackpool Transport, which has a fleet of 137 buses and accommodates 18m passenger journeys per year. She commented: The introduction of these leading-edge vehicles forms part of our on-going investment in modern buses. Our aim is to enhance the customer experience, provide value-for-money and encourage people out of their cars and onto public transport.

The ADL City bus is a stunning, high performance, eco-friendly vehicle that sets the pace and reinforces our commitment to continuous improvement and further enhancement of the passenger experience.

Richard Matthews, Sales Director ADL Retail Bus and Coach, commented: We are delighted to be working with Blackpool Transport on this break-through contract. They will be the first transport operator in the country to introduce the one-door 72-seat variant of the Enviro400 City, which we launched just a few months ago. As we said at the time, it brings together style and innovation.

In addition to the latest low-emission technology, it introduces a whole range of new features. The glazed stairwell is obviously a big attraction, as is the wrap-around drivers windscreen with the wipers recessed at the top.

Customers are also intrigued by the combination of the shallow upper deck front window, which along with hopper windows and other design features significantly reduces solar heat on warm, sunny days. And, of course, our unique QRG (quick release glazing) continues to be as popular as ever.

Richard confirmed that ADL is now in discussions with a number of other bus operators, both in London and wider afield, with a view to securing further City bus orders.

ADL finished 2015 as the UKs biggest bus supplier securing 43% of all new vehicle registration during the year.


The next route in London to have the Enviro400H City buses will be route 26 which is expecting to enter service on 25th June 2016. They will be operated by CT Plus from Ash Grove (HK) Garage.

The front design of the Enviro400H City is also based on the single deck Enviro200 MMC. There's a video of it on London Buses route 499, so here's the video as a bonus feature.


London Buses Route 499
Operated by Stagecoach (NS Garage)
Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MMC
36606 YY15OXA
Filmed on 14th January 2016

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