After a long hiatus, the Transport for London (TfL) board has finally achieved a funding deal with the Government, which means the London Bus tender awards have resumed!
The awards show a whopping 11 routes will be expected to convert to zero-emission electric buses; the routes are: 40, 64, 83/N83, 213, 251, 265, 366, 377, 612, E5 & E7.
LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:
Route |
Current Operator |
New Operator |
PVR |
Vehicles |
35/N35 |
London Central |
London Central |
24 |
Existing hybrid double deck |
40 |
London Central |
London Central |
16 |
New electric double deck |
62 |
Stagecoach East London |
Stagecoach East London |
14 |
Existing diesel double deck |
64* |
Arriva London South |
Arriva London South |
17 |
New electric double deck |
83/N83 |
Metroline |
Metroline |
19 |
New electric double deck |
114** |
Metroline West |
Metroline West |
17 |
Existing hybrid double deck |
145** |
Stagecoach East London |
Stagecoach East London |
17 |
Existing diesel & hybrid double deck |
147 |
Blue Triangle |
Blue Triangle |
20 |
Existing hybrid double deck |
213* |
London General |
London General |
14 |
New electric double deck |
251 |
London Sovereign |
Metroline |
12 |
New electric single deck |
265 |
London United |
London General |
12 |
New electric single deck |
288 |
London Sovereign |
London Sovereign |
7 |
Existing diesel single deck |
294 |
Stagecoach East London |
Stagecoach East London |
12 |
Existing diesel double deck |
303 |
London Sovereign |
London Sovereign |
8 |
Existing diesel single deck |
340 |
Arriva London North |
London Sovereign |
9 |
Existing hybrid double deck |
345* |
Abellio London |
Abellio London |
24 |
Existing hybrid double deck |
366 |
Stagecoach East London |
Blue Triangle |
18 |
New electric single deck |
368 |
Arriva London North |
Blue Triangle |
8 |
Existing hybrid double deck |
377 |
Arriva London North |
Arriva London North |
3 |
New electric single deck |
483 |
Metroline |
Metroline |
20 |
Existing hybrid double deck |
533 |
Metroline |
London General |
5 |
Existing diesel single deck |
612 |
Arriva London South |
Arriva London South |
2 |
New electric double deck |
685*** |
Arriva London South |
Arriva London South |
0 |
Existing diesel double deck |
E5 |
Abellio West London |
Abellio West London |
12 |
New electric single deck |
E7 |
Abellio West London |
Abellio West London |
11 |
New electric single deck |
H11 |
London Sovereign |
London Sovereign |
7 |
Existing diesel single deck |
H14 |
London Sovereign |
London Sovereign |
7 |
Existing hybrid double deck |
H17 |
London United |
Metroline |
7 |
Existing diesel single deck |
H18/H19 |
London Sovereign |
London Sovereign |
8 |
Existing diesel single deck |
K4 |
London United |
London United |
4 |
Existing diesel single deck |
* 24 hour route on all days.
** 24 hour route at weekends (operation currently suspended).
*** PM only route using bus crosslinked from route 412.
All the diesel & hybrid vehicles detailed above will meet Euro VI emissions standards.
New electric vehicles may enter service after the contract start date dependent on infrastructure and/ or vehicle delivery timescales.
The start and end dates for the above contracts are detailed in the following table:
Route |
Contract Start Date |
Contract End Date |
35/N35 |
29th April 2023 |
26th April 2030 |
40 |
29th April 2023 |
26th April 2030 |
62 |
29th April 2023 |
26th April 2030 |
64 |
26th August 2023 |
23rd August 2030 |
83/N83 |
9th September 2023 |
6th September 2030 |
114 |
2nd September 2023 |
30th August 2030 |
145 |
29th April 2023 |
26th April 2030 |
147 |
6th May 2023 |
3rd May 2030 |
213 |
1st July 2023 |
28th June 2030 |
251 |
2nd September 2023 |
30th August 2030 |
265 |
1st July 2023 |
28th June 2030 |
288 |
2nd September 2023 |
30th August 2030 |
294 |
29th April 2023 |
26th April 2030 |
303 |
2nd September 2023 |
30th August 2030 |
340 |
2nd September 2023 |
30th August 2030 |
345 |
29th April 2023 |
26th April 2030 |
366 |
29th April 2023 |
26th April 2030 |
368 |
29th April 2023 |
26th April 2030 |
377 |
8th July 2023 |
5th July 2030 |
483 |
9th September 2023 |
6th September 2030 |
533 |
15th October 2022 |
16th August 2024* |
612 |
26th August 2023 |
23rd August 2030 |
685 |
2nd September 2023 |
29th August 2025 |
E5 |
27th May 2023 |
24th May 2030 |
E7 |
27th May 2023 |
24th May 2030 |
H11 |
2nd September 2023 |
30th August 2030 |
H14 |
2nd September 2023 |
30th August 2030 |
H17 |
2nd September 2023 |
30th August 2030 |
H18/H19 |
2nd September 2023 |
30th August 2030 |
K4 |
1st July 2023 |
28th June 2030 |
* Potentially extendable by two years.
Soon we'll be able to see which make and model of new electric buses will be chosen by bus operators for their new route contracts.
I can’t say if the upcoming new electric buses will have the high-spec interiors that are already seen on London Bus routes 63, 322 and U5. Although, as I mentioned in my previous article, not everyone liked the new ‘high-spec interiors’ inside the new electric buses. I did give solutions on how to make the bus service more attractive with the help of localised and route branding.
Improvements for London Buses
The Department for Transport (DfT) have published a settlement letter to Transport for London which the TfL board agreed to on 30th August 2022.
Below are the extracts from the letter in relation to bus priority improvements for London.
3. This funding settlement will ensure the delivery of key capital renewals and investment in London worth £3.6bn until March 2024.This settlement will enable delivery of, amongst other things, completion of a number of major projects, new road schemes and increased bus priority.
21. In accordance with its own Bus Action Plan, TfL will deliver at least 25 lane km of new bus lanes by 2024/5. It will, by July 2023, complete holistic and granular studies of at least five major bus corridors to ensure that road space is used more efficiently, including but not limited to parking and loading.
You can read the rest of the settlement letter on the Government website.
This shows the Government support TfL’s Bus Action Plan in relation to bus priority measures which is mentioned as part of the Government’s Bus Back Better policy paper and the National Bus Strategy.
Bus Back Better
Chapter 2 – The buses we want
That means making them:
Faster and more reliable: Buses must have greater priority on urban roads. LTAs will be given new powers to enforce traffc regulations. They will be expected to promote bus reliability, and to implement ambitious bus priority schemes, to receive new funding. These must be planned to complement walking and cycling schemes. We will consult shortly on increasing Metro Mayors’ powers over key roads in their areas, where they are not already the highway authority.
We expect Bus Service Improvement Plans to:
Identify where bus priority measures are needed, including consideration of Bus Rapid Transit routes to transform key corridors and how traffc management can be improved to beneft buses.
National Bus Strategy: Bus Service
Improvement Plans
Guidance to local authorities and bus operators
Why Bus Service Improvement Plans?
1. The National Bus Strategy (‘the Strategy’) sets out an ambitious vision to dramatically improve bus services in England outside London through greater local leadership, to reverse the recent shift in journeys away from public transport and encourage passengers back to bus. Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) and local bus operators must work at pace with local communities to plan and deliver a fully integrated service with simple, multi-modal tickets, more bus priority measures, the same highquality information for all passengers in more places, and better turn-up-and-go frequencies that keep running into the evenings and at weekends.
You can also read the full document regarding the Bus Back Better policy and the National Bus Strategy on the Government website, and TfL’s Bus Action Plan.
You can read my previous article responding to TfL’s Bus Action Plan including bus priority measures, Bus Rapid Transit schemes, and more.
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