Thursday, 16 May 2019

Latest London Bus contract awards and news of double deck hydrogen powered double deck vehicles.


The latest awards recently announced by Transport for London as follows:


C10 (Victoria & Canada Water bus station) LBSL contract re-awarded to Abellio London with new electric single-decks, currently with ADL E20D single-decks (Contract start date 21st March 2020)


P5 (Elephant & Castle & Nine Elms Patmore Estate) LBSL contract awarded to Abellio London with new electric single-decks. Currently operated by various types of diesel single-decks (2nd May 2020)



Metroline Travel will be operating hydrogen powered double deck vehicles supplied by Wrightbus out of one of their two Perivale Garages.
Twenty have been ordered by TfL. The technology from the Northern Ireland company provides a zero-emission drive system which encompasses a hydrogen fuel cell and a battery pack to power the vehicle. The combination of these two features makes the continuous daily operation of the public transport vehicle feasible

Although hydrogen-fuelled single-decker buses have been running in London and cities elsewhere for years, TfL said the new double-deckers would be a world first.
They will operate on route 7 (Russell Square & East Acton) and N7 (Russell Square & Northolt Station).
This route is currently operated with VWH-class Wrightbus Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5LH; and 245 (Alperton & Golders Green) with Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL.


 An unregistered hydrogen powered vehicle at Tower Transit's Lea Interchange garage


A hydrogen powered decker alongside one of two Van Hool A330FC 12.0m
 hydrogen single-decks

 Hydrogen powered single deck vehicles have been used on route RV1 for some years.
Here one of eight existing VDL SB200 with Wrightbus Pulsar 2 11.9m hydrogen
 single-decks currently on route RV1 (Covent Garden & Tower Gateway Station).


Want more information on the full London bus scene, then why not have a look at the London Omnibus Traction Society's website at http://www.lots.org.uk/
Better still why not join and gain the benefits of the regular monthly newsletter along with other useful publications.