Route 307 which serves the north of Greater London from Barnet Hospital to Brimsdown Station will soon be operated with new double-deck electric buses as part of the new contract won by Arriva London.
LBSL intends to enter into a new contract for the following route with the operator listed below:
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* Weekends only.
The new electric vehicles may enter service after the contract start date dependent on infrastructure and/ or vehicle delivery timescales.
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We’ll be able to see which make and model of the electric bus will be selected by Arriva for their route 307 route contract in due course.
Route 5 now partially served with New Routemasters
In my previous article I failed to mention that London Bus Routes, via their Service Changes page, informed us that the three-door, two-staircase hybrid bus named New Routemaster is now serving route 5, which serves from Canning Town to Romford in east London.
Route 5
Partial allocation of New Bus for London double deckers introduced, replacing B9TLs.
Expected Date: May 2022
The partial conversion was also announced on London Omnibus Traction Society (LOTS) News last month.
Saturday 9 April
1) A start has been made to convert Go-Ahead route 5 (Canning Town & Romford) partially to LT operation, using LTs released from PVR reductions from route 12 at Camberwell. As at this weekend they are not in general daytime use although for some time LTs have been scheduled anyway in early mornings as a run-on from the N15 allocation.
Wrightbus Electroliner electric buses for Abellio and Go-Ahead London
Another follow up from my previous article... Bus operator Abellio commenced the route 111 contract; New Routemasters will continue to operate on the route until the new fleet of double-deck electric buses are delivered to their garage in Twickenham.
From Abellio London
Abellio London sets wheels in motion on two new routes
On Saturday 30 April, Abellio increased its fleet size by 5% in one night as two new Transport for London bus routes came into operation with 41 additional buses.
Abellio commenced operating the 322 (Clapham Common-Crystal Palace) from its Battersea depot, while the 111 (Kingston to Heathrow Airport via Hounslow) rolled out from the Twickenham garage. The new TfL contracts will operate for 7 years.
The route starts are the culmination of months of hard work and preparation from staff right across the company - and Abellio London has drawn upon its experience in mobilising new bus routes in the capital, to ensure all aspects are covered and the transition is a smooth one.
A fleet of 30 Wrightbus Electroliner zero emission vehicles, manufactured in Belfast, will enter service during 2022 on route 111. These will be the first Electroliner vehicles to enter service in London.On route 322, a fleet of 11 Switch Mobility MetroCity single decker buses will enter service in 2022. These will be the first Switch Mobility vehicles to enter service in London.
Jon Eardley, Managing Director, Abellio London Bus, said: “The commencement of these routes is an exciting moment for everyone at Abellio London, and reflects our ambition and growing reputation as an operator of choice. Once again we are showing our expertise in effective mobilisation of quality bus services, ensuring a smooth transition and a safe experience for customers.
“We’ve been steadily increasing the size of our zero-emission fleet, and the launch of further state-of-the-art electric buses on routes 111 and 322 in the coming months will see us cement our reputation for operating one of the cleanest bus fleets in the country.
“We’re committed to working long-term with innovative manufacturers and TfL to help realise the Mayor of London’s ambition to have a zero-emissions bus system in the capital by 2030.”
Driver Dean Riordan, who works out of the Twickenham depot said: “It’s an exciting moment for everyone involved at Abellio London. I’m looking forward to getting out and driving on the 111 route, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for customers.”
Wrightbus have posted pictures of their new electric buses in construction for route 111 on Twitter.
The wheels are in motion on @AbellioLondon’s first ZE StreetDeck Electroliner for @TfL
— Wrightbus (@Wright_bus) April 14, 2022
Pictured here while on the line in our main Chassis factory at @Wright_bus HQ in Ballymena #wrightbus #abellio #tfl #londonbus #zeroemissions #electricbuses #electroliner #netzero #chassis pic.twitter.com/WlkTYBJtmC
Building the window for the best views in London.
— Wrightbus (@Wright_bus) April 21, 2022
Work on the first @AbellioLondon ZE StreetDeck Electroliner for @TfL is progressing down the production lines @Wright_bus & we are excited about the road up ahead!#wrightbus #londonbus #zeroemissions #electricbuses #netzero pic.twitter.com/6lbRrFooCX
Work is progressing on the interior fittings for the @AbellioLondon @Wright_bus #Electroliner
— Wrightbus (@Wright_bus) May 5, 2022
Customers on these buses will benefit from quieter, smoother journeys, comfortable high back seating and USB points. #wrightbus #abellio #TFl #electricbus #passengerexperience pic.twitter.com/n22dI1ftLL
LOTS news from early May 2022 explains why New Routemasters are on route 111:
Sunday 1 May
1) The changes of 30th April in London were complicated as on the three routes involved, none of the new buses for the contracts had arrived. At Abellio, the 111 was taken on, using a mix of LTs taken from both London United and from its own devices (partly due to PVR reductions on other routes). The 322 (also Abellio) had to be with 8.9m E20Ds from its own fleet (with one-for-one transfers to allow that) as none of the new Optare MetroCitys were ready for service. The 204 stayed with its existing buses, the E400EVs not due until June.
2) The StreetDeck Electroliner demonstrator EL 1 has gone into service on route 119 (Croydon- Bromley) and it should be out on Mon-Fri for a period. The first batch of Electroliners due for London is for the 111 but are a few months away yet. Electric power supply remains awaited at RATP Edgware and Hounslow Heath as well as at Go-Ahead Bexleyheath, for buses already delivered for routes 125, 235, 132 respectively.
Bus Operator Go-Ahead London has recently launched the Wrightbus StreetDeck Electroliner demonstrator (EL1) on route 119. You can also track the bus on the Bus Times website.
Lovely to see our #Electroliner out on trial with @Go_Ahead_London
— Wrightbus (@Wright_bus) May 4, 2022
The @Wright_bus Electroliner our zero emission double deck electric bus offers the perfect combination of range and efficiency, offering class-leading recharge times.https://t.co/CiADkCcFfj#wrightbus https://t.co/hL6kbMoCog
A brief update from Arrival
Electric Vehicle manufacturer Arrival has announced on Twitter that their electric bus has gained EU certification which allows them to enter passenger service soon.
THIS JUST IN 🎉 The Arrival Bus has achieved EU certification!
— Arrival (@arrival) May 6, 2022
After many months of testing, we’re happy to announce that Arrival has received formal certification for our Bus. This is a key milestone for the company.
Next up: Public road trials with our customers! pic.twitter.com/Aazd6VveIV
Lastly, an opening date for Crossrail Elizabeth line finally announced!
From TfL press release
Elizabeth line to open on 24 May 2022
Transport for London (TfL) has today confirmed that, subject to final safety approvals, the Elizabeth line will open on Tuesday 24 May 2022. The Elizabeth line will transform travel across London and the South East by dramatically improving transport links, cutting journey times, providing additional capacity, and transforming accessibility with spacious new stations and walk-through trains. The Elizabeth line will initially operate as three separate railways, with services from Reading, Heathrow and Shenfield connecting with the central tunnels from autumn this year.
In the coming weeks, Elizabeth line signage will continue to be uncovered across the network in preparation for the start of customer service. The updated Tube and Rail map will also be released later showing the new central section stations connected with the rest of the TfL network for the first time.
The new line is set to be crucial to London's recovery from the pandemic, helping avoid a car-led recovery by providing new journey options, supporting regeneration across the capital, and adding an estimated £42bn to the UK economy.
The Elizabeth line will operate 12 trains per hour between Paddington and Abbey Wood from Monday to Saturday 06:30 to 23:00. Work will continue in engineering hours and on Sundays to allow a series of testing and software updates in preparation for more intensive services from the autumn.
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