Transport news roundup for February 2020 – Electric buses for Los Angeles & stylish biogas buses for Bristol

This is a selection of various transport news which occured during the month of February 2020.

First of all, my prediction turned out to be correct in a article I wrote back in November 2019 when Tower Transit won routes 23 and C3; I expected them to use Optare Metrodecker EVs for their new route contracts.

The UK government have announced plans today for an all-electric bus town

The government have said that local authorities can apply to become the UK's first all-electric bus town by funding bus companies to enable them to use zero-emission electric buses serving a specific town in Britain.

Extracts from UK government website

Local authorities can now apply to become the UK’s first all-electric bus town, setting the ‘gold-standard’ in environmentally friendly public transport, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced today (6 February 2020).

January 2020 Transport news roundup: New trains for Nexus Tyne and Wear Metro and the rise of electric buses for Europe!

First of all, due to the lack of articles during the last month, I’ve decided to feature most of this months transport news in one article.

Nexus has placed an order for new trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro in North East of England.

Extracts from Nexus

28 January 2020

Nexus today announced a chosen manufacturer for its contract to build new trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro, as part of a £362m investment which will transform performance and passenger experience, deliver huge energy savings and secure and create hundreds of jobs in the UK supply chain.

The first zero emission Enviro400EV City enters service on London Buses Route 94!

The process of converting London Bus Route 94 to double deck electric buses has finally begun.

London Vehicle Finder has revealed that the first Alexander Dennis BYD Enviro400EV City entered into service is:

Double-Deck Hydrogens and “New Routemaster spin-off” plug-in hybrid buses for Ireland!

Good news for Wrightbus as they are a few months in to the new ownership from Jo Bamford; the Northern Irish transport authority Translink is set to roll out double deck hydrogen buses for Belfast.

Stagecoach unveils their new branding for bus services in Britain!

Bus operator Stagecoach has started a major rebrand with new logos and new exterior liveries for their services in Britain.

Extract from Stagecoach group

Electrifying win for Stagecoach as London Bus routes 173 and 174 will be served using zero-emission double-deck electric buses!

Two routes serving Beckton, Dagenham, Chadwell Heath, King George’s Hospital, Romford and Harold Hill will be served with new zero-emission double-deck electric buses!

Notification of Tender Results
16th January 2020

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

TfL prepares to change New Routemasters to front-boarding only - Plus an update on negotiations with the Bamford Bus Company

We have some news regarding the three-door, two-staircase hybrid bus known as the New Routemaster (NRM).

This is a brief news update as TfL has unveiled plans in a press release to phase out open-boarding on routes serving New Routemaster buses.

From TfL press release

The real reason why TfL and the Mayor ended the New Routemaster rollout in favour of legacy vehicles containing NRM design cues

First of all, welcome to 2020 and I wish all of my readers a very Happy New Year.

The purpose of this article is to show how the 'London' bus design has evolved from the New Routemaster (NRM) bus to the pure battery-electric and zero-emission Enviro400EV City, jointly manufactured by Alexander Dennis and BYD.

Ten years ago, the New Routemaster design with three-doors and two-staircases was first unveiled back in May 2010 and designed by Heatherwick Studios; the prototypes entered service in February 2012 and the full production of the New Routemaster commenced in September 2012. The original purpose of the New Routemaster project was to reinstate the rear open platform with conductor and the arrangement only served on six routes up until September 2016.

London bus tender awards for December 2019

 

The new tender awards have revealed one route is set to convert to use zero emission electric single deck buses.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below: