London Buses Update - 3
December 2020 - Electric Special
The independent
transport videos cameras have again been out and about in
the capital recording more changes to the contemporary bus scene for you to
enjoy. This is the third DVD programme
in the occasional series recording the bus scene in London.
In this edition we feature the ever-increasing
use of new electric buses, which are being introduced into London. In our last programme filmed in 2016 we saw
the new BYD/ADL200EV single-deckers that were in service on routes 507 and 521 ‘Red
Arrow’ operated by Go-Ahead London and the BYD K8SR Electric double-deckers
operated by Metroline on route 98 which have subsequently left the
fleet. The latest electric buses seen on
this programme are BYD/ADL Enviro200EV single-deckers in 9.7m, 10.2m and 10.9m
lengths, BYD/ADL Enviro400EV City double-deckers at 10.9m and Optare
MetroDecker EV double-deckers at 10.5m lengths, the latter being seen on route
134 to North Finchley. Operating
companies for these electric buses are Go-Ahead’s ‘London General’ and ‘London
Central’ subsidiaries and Metroline.
Electric Hybrid buses also now play a big part in London’s ‘green’
credentials and these are seen running with most operators including Arriva,
Stagecoach, RATP and Abellio. These
include the LT class, or New Routemaster as they are sometimes referred
to and are seen in profusion on this programme. Our filming begins outside
Waterloo railway station where we board SEe50 (LJ66 CJX) a BYD K9E ADL
Enviro200EV single-decker, operated by Go-Ahead London – London General on
route 521 through the financial area of the City of London to London
Bridge. Filmed during the coronavirus pandemic you
will see the safety notices in the bus, especially the one stating that only 14
passengers can be carried. Alighting at King William Street we film the action
in and around the City, at Bank, Mansion House Street and along Princess Street
towards Moorgate, London Wall and Finsbury Pavement. Finsbury Square and City Road, Islington are
our next locations, which includes a shot of open-top Routemaster, RM1783 (783
DYE) offering a good comparison with the New Routemasters passing
by. We then take a ride on Stagecoach
London’s 12314 (SN14 TYP), an ADL E40H Enviro400 Hybrid double-decker on route
205 to King’s Cross. On alighting we
film along Gray’s Inn Road and Euston Road, spotting ST812 (LTZ 1812), the
unique ‘short’ New Routemaster. The
busy bus station at Euston Square is our location for plenty of action, as well
as Euston Road for the sighting of the Optare MetroDecker EV on route 134.
Further locations are Tottenham Court Road, New Oxford Street, Aldwych, Strand
and Waterloo Bridge completing this review of London’s Electric buses in
December 2020.
Our programme concludes
with ‘Electric Buses on Show’! This
footage features new buses at two bus industry exhibitions at the NEC in
Birmingham. The first, in 2018 shows the
Optare MetroDecker EV and an Optare MetroCity single-decker. The second in 2019 features a BYD/ADL
Enviro400EV City double-decker together with a Yutong Pelican single-decker in
the demonstration park. Our final scenes
are at ‘The London Bus Museum’ at Brooklands in Surrey with both new Electric
and classic London buses on show from a bygone era.