Having paved the way for zero emissions with 2 electrified garages, the first double deck electric buses in London and end-to-end electric routes, this year saw the electrification of Edgware and the commencement of works at Willesden Junction. With Cricklewood and Perivale set to follow in the near future, landmark electric vehicle orders from Volvo, and the launch of London’s 1000th Electric Vehicle on a Metroline route, 2023 was a big year for electrification at Metroline.
The road to electrification at Edgware was a challenging one, but the power was finally switched on in April, with 28 chargers standing ready to power Edgware’s new fleet of electric buses, made up of the familiar Enviro400EVs which have already proven themselves at Holloway, as well as the Wright StreetDeck Electroliner. The Route 142 between Brent Cross and Watford was the first electric route from Edgware on the road, followed by the Route 204 several months later.
At Willesden Junction, the installation of infrastructure for use of electric vehicles is progressing with the first 12 chargers in place, and work planned to connect the main power grid to the transformers in the near future. Once works are complete in the first few months of 2024, Willesden Junction will see a number electric routes operating from the garage, with vehicles already beginning to arrive.
Elsewhere, improvements are being made to existing garages, with new chargers for Potters Bar for the new electric Route 384 buses activated this month, and future works to further improve capacity at both Potters Bar and Holloway set to take place next year. Finally works at Perivale and Cricklewood are set to begin next year, bringing the number of electric garages to 6 by the end of 2024.
With 164 electric buses in the fleet and counting, Metroline is fast becoming the operator of choice for electric and zero-emissions vehicles. 2024 is set to bring even more milestones for Metroline in bringing greener travel to our customers.
Find out more about Sustainability at Metroline.
