Here's the second London Bus tender Awards of this week, and it has revealed that routes 129 and Superloop route SL4 (formerly X239) have been awarded to Go-Ahead London with new double-deck electric buses.
From Go-Ahead London on Twitter/X
We have been awarded two electric bus contracts by Transport for London (TfL), as follows:
· Route 129 (currently Lewisham to North Greenwich, but in time extended to Great Eastern Quay via the Royal Docks).
TfL anticipate the SL4 will be the final Superloop service (of ten in total). It is due to coincide with the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel in 2025 and will join the SL6 and SL7 in our Superloop portfolio.
The 129’s, which we have run since June 2011, will not only benefit from new vehicles, but the route itself will be extended and the timetable greatly enhanced.
David Cutts, Managing Director, said: “A new express service, a significant boost to an already popular route and brand new Zero Emission buses are all welcome developments. Combined, they enhance the public transport offering in this part of London and make a compelling case for modern bus travel. I thank TfL for their decision and look forward to working closely with them as we deliver these important improvements.”
We are London’s largest bus company and a part of @TheGoAheadGroup, an international provider of passenger transport.
The Peak Vehicle Requirement (PVR) for route 129 with 22 vehicles and Superloop route SL4 with 18 vehicles. Both of the routes will be using brand new double-deck electric buses.
This is fantastic news!
According to my previous article, I've quoted from the Silvertown Tunnel Bus Network Proposals consultation report, and the top issues raised from the consultation reveal a huge number of requests for zero-emission buses.
“The Bus Action Plan commits to an inclusive customer experience which makes travelling by bus easy, comfortable and accessible to all. As part of improving the experience for customers when on buses, we have been trialling a number of features on route 63 and are soon to do so on route 358. Although we cannot commit to a specific vehicle type being used on routes 129 or X239, we do intend to incorporate what we have learnt from the trials on our network as we roll out new buses. This includes giving some further consideration as to whether route X239 should have a different name. However, we fully intend that all routes serving the Tunnels will be zero emission which is beyond the requirement of the Silvertown Tunnel Development Consent Order.”
It's good to see that the request for zero-emission buses for routes 129 and SL4 is going to be fulfilled as part of the new route contract.
The start date for these two routes will commence once the Silvertown Tunnel opens during the year 2025.
You can read the London Bus Tender Awards from 12th September, here.
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