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| 3,000th zero-emission bus - TfL Image |
Transport for London (TfL) have announced in a press release that there are now over 3,000 zero-emission buses in service, marking a major green milestone for the capital.
Highlights of the press release:
The capital’s iconic red buses have hit a major green milestone ahead of Clean Air Day (18 June) with 3,000 zero-emission buses now in operation – around a third of the Transport for London (TfL) fleet.
As transport accounts for a significant proportion of London’s greenhouse gas emissions, it’s vital that TfL continues to lead the green transition to tackle the climate emergency, cut toxic pollution, and protect public health and the environment. Making the bus fleet zero-emission at the tailpipe could save an estimated five million tonnes of carbon over the next two decades, while operating around 3,000 electric buses over the course of a year alone is estimated to save more than 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions*. This equates to more than 118,900 flights between London and New York City**.
London’s buses are among the greenest in the world, with lower CO₂ emissions per passenger kilometre than cities such as New York and Vancouver***. Since 2021, all new buses have been zero-emission at the tailpipe, and the rest meet or exceed Euro VI standards. Buses also play a crucial role in reducing congestion, carrying up to 80 times as many passengers as a car while using only around three times as much road space.
The Mayor and TfL are making the bus network greener in more ways than one, having also converted all the lighting at its bus shelters to Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting. Around 12,000 bus shelters across the capital now have more energy-efficient, luminous and longer-lasting lights, making the shelters both greener and more welcoming for customers. The new lighting will use less than half as much energy and brighten up bus shelters by 10 per cent.
Londoners will be able to spot the 3,000th zero-emission bus, which has been specially wrapped to commemorate the milestone, on route 165 travelling between Romford and Rainham. The 3000th zero-emission bus will operate from Stagecoach’s Rainham bus depot. It is part of a wider order of more than 120 zero-emission buses from Ballymena-based Wrightbus, supporting the UK’s zero-emission bus industry, green jobs and wider economic growth.
With Rainham depot routes 174/674, 165 and 287 already zero-emission, this order will enable a further six routes at the depot to become zero-emission within the next year – including the new SL12, which will serve customers between Rainham and Gants Hill. The depot is currently being upgraded to support the switch to zero-emission buses, with work including installation of new high-level chargers mounted on overhead steel gantries to power the buses. The steel for these has been ordered from a local company, Rainham Steel, based only a few miles away from the bus depot itself.
There are 135 bus routes in London that are fully zero-emission and 68 that are partially converted to zero-emission.
TfL is currently trialling hydrogen buses on the network as well as tram-like buses powered by pantograph, which allows fast, high-power charging at each end of the 15-mile journey, through an arm-like structure attached to the bus roof, which means drivers do not return to garages to recharge.
TfL has committed to ensuring all new vehicles entering service are zero-emission and is working with bus manufacturers to develop a vibrant and competitive zero-emission market, alongside work with stakeholders to ensure necessary infrastructure is available to enable the transition.
In 2023, TfL launched the Superloop, a game-changing network of express bus services, linking stations, hospitals and transport hubs across outer London. There are now 12 Superloop bus routes (including the BL1 express service from Waterloo to Lewisham, mirroring the proposed Bakerloo Tube line extension route) covering 218 kilometres of routes. Plans are now in place to expand the network even further with the SL12 launching later this year and SL14 and SL15 launching in 2027, ensuring buses continue to play a critical role in a green, healthy, and inclusive future for London.
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As London’s 3,000th zero-emission bus is a Wrightbus Electroliner, it is impressive to see that the manufacturer has now built over 3,000 zero-emission vehicles in total. Since going into administration in 2019 and being taken over by Jo Bamford, Wrightbus has made a remarkable recovery.
https://www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk/list.asp?listname=2006&Type=Chassis
How did TfL roll out zero-emission buses? It is entirely by competitive tendering.
Rather than purchasing vehicles directly, Transport for London (TfL) uses its regular route-franchising cycle to drive the green transition. London's bus routes are competitively tendered to private operators (like Go-Ahead and Stagecoach) every 5 to 7 years.
TfL leverages this process through three key mechanisms:
■ The Mandate: TfL stipulates that all buses entering service under new contracts must be zero-emission.
■ Private Funding: To win a contract, private operators must source and fund the electric or hydrogen vehicles themselves.
■ Infrastructure Risk Transfer: Operators take on the responsibility and cost of upgrading depots and installing charging infrastructure.
By embedding these green requirements into the competitive bidding process, TfL has successfully outsourced the upfront procurement costs and infrastructure risks to the private sector, growing the zero-emission fleet to over 3,000 buses.
This model contrasts with the procurement strategy used for the New Routemaster in the early 2010s. In that instance, TfL directly purchased a bespoke fleet of 1,000 three-door, two-staircase hybrid vehicles at a total capital cost exceeding £350 million. Because TfL owned the vehicles, it absorbed the associated financial risks, including early battery degradation and the lack of a secondary resale market for the custom-built design. By returning to competitive tendering for the zero-emission transition, TfL has shifted these asset risks and capital costs back to private operators.
If you like to know the upcoming London Bus routes that is expecting to convert to zero-emission buses, keep an eye out for the London Bus Tender Awards on my website.
I would like to extend an invite for you to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) for transport-related updates. You can find me by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my X page here. I am also present on BlueSky and Mastodon. I look forward to connecting with you on these platforms. Thank you for your support.
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