Author: Metroline Comms

• The SL8 will be the first bus route to become part of the proposed Superloop express bus network
• Buses on the route, which is currently route 607, will call at the same stops as now, but some bus stop names will change to better reflect their locations
• Timetable will be extended to provide more early morning and evening services from 19 August

Route 607 between Uxbridge and White City will be renumbered SL8 and rebranded into to become the first part of the proposed Superloop tomorrow (Saturday 15 July) to offer customers an instantly recognisable express bus service in west London.
The timetable for SL8 will be extended to provide more early morning and evening buses from 19 August. Other improvements, including improved customer information and USB charging, will also follow.

Buses on the route will call at the same stops as now, but some of the bus stop names will change to better reflect their locations, such as The Grapes, which will become Hayes / The Grapes.

Louise Cheeseman, Director of Buses at TfL said: “The newly numbered and branded SL8 will provide people in outer London an instantly recognisable express bus route helping to make it easier to choose a sustainable travel option. I urge customers who are used to seeing the 607 to give the SL8 a try.”

Sean O’Shea, CEO at Metroline said: “Metroline is delighted to be the first Bus company in London to operate one of the new Superloop services. This launch marks a milestone in further improving transport links in outer London and our team at Greenford Garage are proud to play their part delivering route SL8 of the Superloop.”

TfL is working to ensure customers are informed of the changes, with branded posters and timetables being placed at bus stops and bus stations plus updated spider maps. Regular users of the routes have received two emails ahead of the changes taking place.

For more information about the proposed Superloop express bus network, please visit https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/how-we-work/planning-for-the-future/outer-london-transport#on-this-page-1

It was a successful night for Metroline at the London Bus Awards 2023, hosted by Transport for London, with 6 shortlisted nominees across 5 categories, and 1 winner at the end of the night. Congratulations to David Gharu from Uxbridge Garage on winning the Award for Actions above and beyond the call of duty , and a special well done to all Metroline nominees who were shortlisted finalists: Chuyen Chan and Wolfang Chindamo (Outstanding Customer Service), Ancuta-Raluca Tilihoi (Outstanding Newcomer), Mehmet Boluk (Accessibility Champion) and the Willesden Junction Garage team (Best Vehicle Care).

David Gharu is one of Uxbridge garage’s most respected drivers, and no stranger to going above and beyond to ensure the best service for customers. Since 2006, Mr Gharu has demonstrated exemplary service, receiving a 100% score on multiple BCES assessments.

This commitment to service also extends to situations where people are in need. This was the case on one October night in 2022, where Mr Gharu witnessed a young woman in a vulnerable situation and made the split second decision to do what he could as a bus driver to help.

A witness said “My mate was on the bus around 11:30pm, when the driver noticed a car trying to call a young woman at the bus stop into the car, the woman looked scared outside and the bus driver told the women to get on the bus so she was safe making sure she went somewhere with loads of lights. My friend was really amazed with how this bus driver reacted to this situation. Anything could have happened to this woman if this bus driver didn’t help this young woman with his quick thinking and kind helpfulness, he then drove the woman into town so she was somewhere well lit, this driver was absolutely amazing and I think he deserves praise. I personally believe this driver was really amazing.”

This would not be the last time Mr Gharu would go above and beyond. One night in May 2023, he would assist an off-duty Police officer in helping a wheelchair user in need.

The Police Officer recalled “…a wheelchair-man boarded. I noticed that he had no shoes on and one foot was bandaged. As the bus continued its route, I noticed that the wheelchair-bound man’s foot had begun to bleed onto the floor. I engaged with the man, who was clearly drunk, as I was concerned for his health. I then asked the bus driver , Mr Gharu, to stop at the Hillingdon Hospital stop, as I believed the man needed to go to hospital. When Mr Gharu got out from his seat to see what I was talking about, the man left a streak of blood on the floor, alarming us both. Mr Gharu then demonstrated a clear understanding of what he could do to help, making contact with his control to request an ambulance… I then decided to get some first aid supplies from the nearby hospital and was completely confident that I could leave the bleeding man under Mr Gharu’s supervision while I was away. Mr Gharu then demonstrated great problem-solving by contacting a colleague who spoke Polish to help facilitate communication with the man… London Ambulance Service attended and took over, after which I departed… He is extremely reliable and his composure in such an unexpected incident is something to be greatly proud of.”

Speaking about Mr Gharu, Garage Manager Stavros Heracleous said, “Very proud of David’s superb actions. A true gentleman who didn’t hesitate to intervene in this incident, which had a positive impact.”

Congratulations again to Mr Gharu and well done to the other nominees.

 

 

We love our drivers so much we’ll be featuring them on our new recruitment campaign, highlighting the benefits of working for Metroline!

Whether you are looking for a job that lets you save up for a house, has the flexibility to let you look after the kids, or just aren’t ready to retire yet, becoming a Bus Driver with Metroline can work for you.

You can earn up to £36,000 in your first year, work flexible shifts, take advantage of part-time and overtime opportunities, and gain access to range of benefits including free Bus and Tube travel for you and one other as well receiving access to the largest employee discount scheme in the world.

Find out more by checking out our Driver Recruitment Page here: https://www.metroline.co.uk/recruitment/drivers/

Interested in driving for Metroline? We have a host of Recruitment open day events coming to several Bus Garages in February! This is a great opportunity to find out what it takes to be a London bus driver, and to ask our drivers and trainers what to expect.

Find out the dates at our Recruitment Open Days page here.

For Fast-Track progression, please have your Valid Passport, Valid UK driving licence and National insurance number available on the day.

Benefits of working at Metroline include:

• Paid training to get your PCV licence worth over £6k
• Salary starting from £13.88 per hour depending on your shift pattern and pro-rata for part time hours
• Current PCV license holders could start on £17.22 per hour depending on experience
• Company Pension
• Free Bus and Tube travel for you and one other*
• Health & Wellbeing Programme
• Childcare Vouchers
• Opportunities for overtime
• Full time and part time opportunities available
• Employee Benefit Scheme
• 24 hour Employee support line
• Cycle2Work scheme
• Free Uniform
• Company Sick Pay Scheme

* free travel pass is provided by TfL and is subject to terms and conditions

Bravo to team Metroline for a great evening at the UK Bus Awards! Congratulations to Wolfgang Chindamo on winning the silver prize in the Luke Rees-Pulley Award for Top London Bus Driver, and well done to Kolawole Obasa on receiving a Special Commendation for Outstanding Service in the Unsung Heroes category.

Wolfgang Chindamo is one of Metroline’s best drivers for customer service. Wolfgang started with the company on 12th May 2003 following a career in hospitality. Bringing with him his excellent customer service skills, in the nearly 20 years since he started, Wolfgang has consistently maintained a very good ethos toward the role and more specifically his customers. One customer who travelled on Wolfgang’s bus wrote: “You [sic] driver was first class smiling, polite and happy. Kept all passengers informed of any delays and was willing to answer any questions. Especially on a Sunday as services are limited. So refreshing to see and hear one passenger say what time he was returning back so she could get back on his bus and so many people say thanks and waving bye. Says so much about this driver his manner [sic] is exceptional.”

Kolawole ‘Kola’ Obasa is an exemplary employee and a supervisor that is known for his politeness and professionalism. Kola started his career at Metroline in a passenger facing role as a customer assistant on the iconic New Routemaster Buses in 2013 before transferring his excellent customer service skills to the Garage Administration Supervisor role at Kings Cross garage. Kola has a reputation among his colleagues as a great team player with excellent timekeeping and attendance record. He goes the extra mile to promote, support and ensure the administration of the garage is carried out timely and efficiently. He will always give 100% regardless of recognition and takes real pride in everything he does at all times. He is always willing to help on both sides of the counter and is someone his colleagues, drivers and management can rely on.

Also nominated for Top London Bus Driver at the UK Bus Awards were Aliya Aleskerova and Porpin ‘Poppy’ Owusu, both from Greenford garage.

Aliya Aleskerova is one of best and brightest Bus drivers of Metroline’s  Greenford Garage. Starting at the garage in 2013, Aliya quickly joined the route 282 after completing her training, and has remained there ever since. Aliya is well known for her extremely positive attitude towards to her work and to her route 282 passengers. She enjoys interacting with many of the passengers on a personal basis; a rapport, that has been built over the years through exceptional customer service. As a result, she has come to know many of the regular passengers who use her bus, many of whom have been responsible for the praise she has received over the years.

Poppy Owusu is a much-loved driver at Metroline’s Greenford garage, known as much for her excellent customer service as she is for commendable driving skills. Joining Metroline as a new driver in 2013 following a 14 year role in the food hall of a world-renowned store in Knightsbridge in central London, it didn’t take long for her to take to the job, as she brought with her the excellent customer service skills she had learnt in her previous role. When Poppy transitioned to bus driving the role was easy, and she was able to utilise those customers skills with her bus passengers.

Finally, Metroline’s Uxbridge garage was nominated for Top London Bus Garage. Uxbridge is Metroline’s jewel in the crown for outstanding performance, top of many TfL and internal league tables and the garage of choice for many new staff who look forward to working here. We are the main operator in the Uxbridge area and deliver services to a much wider area.

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

Earlier this year, Metroline was able to support the UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme, a cornerstone of the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs. Thirty new paid 6-month job placements were created at our London bus garages to provide opportunities for young people who are most at risk of long-term unemployment brought about by the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

We received many applications from young people from a range of backgrounds and gave them key roles across the business where they learnt about the company and the industry. Following a successful 6 months, some have chosen to stay at Metroline as full time employees. Hear what some of our successful former Kickstarters who have joined Metroline have to say:

After 82 years of operation, our Alperton garage closed at the end of the operating day on Friday 10 September.

Built by the London Passenger Transport Board in 1939, route 83 transferred in when the garage opened and was the last route to transfer out, along with its newer counterpart routes 483 and N83. The garage survived bomb damage during the Blitz and was expanded with its western extension in the late 1970s. During privatisation ownership passed to CentreWest, including a period branded as Challenger, and on to First Group before eventually joining Metroline in 2013. Under Metroline’s ownership, Alperton was award winning; London Bus Garage of the Year at the UK Bus Awards 2015, a finalist for the same award in 2019 and Garage of the Year at the 2019 Metroline Awards, recognising its regular position at the top of the London Buses league tables.

The Alperton Garage Farewell Open Day took place on 11th September 2021, a day after sending buses out into service for the last time. Families, former drivers, Bus enthusiasts and more all came down to see the Alperton Garage and the vintage buses on display.

Metroline is pleased to be able to support the UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme, a cornerstone of the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs. Here are some of the young people who have already joined Metroline as part of the scheme:

• Sadiq launches the first double-decker hydrogen bus fleet in England
• These 20 new hydrogen fuel cell double decker buses which will reduce TfL’s carbon footprint and further reduce harmful emissions to help ensure Londoners breathe cleaner air.
• The hydrogen buses join a fleet of over 500 electric buses – one of the largest fleets in Western Europe. The aim is to make all London buses zero emission by 2030.
• Mayor highlights the benefits that green investments from TfL is having in different parts of the country
• Customers will enjoy smoother, quieter journeys and USB charging points

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will today launch England’s first ever hydrogen double decker buses, marking another major step towards making the bus fleet zero-emission and cleaning up London’s toxic air.

The 20 new environmentally-friendly buses, the first of their kind to be launched in England, will produce no pollution from their exhausts and join more than 500 electric buses in the core fleet which are already zero-emission. The new hydrogen fuel cell double decker buses are first being introduced on route 7 between East Acton and Oxford Circus.

Hydrogen used in a fuel cell is free from harmful emissions. The only by-product is water from the chemical reaction of hydrogen with oxygen from air, a process that produces electricity to power the bus. The buses will help clean up the air and improve the health of Londoners by reducing the level of harmful nitrogen oxide in the air. Passengers will benefit from smoother, quieter journeys due to fewer vibrations and will be able to take advantage of free-to-use USB charging points.

The Mayor’s green transport investment is also supporting jobs across the UK. The buses were manufactured by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland, helping to create new jobs, and the gas cylinders are manufactured by Luxfer in Nottingham. The hydrogen for the buses is currently being produced at Air Liquide’s plant in Runcorn, harnessing waste hydrogen as a by-product from an industrial chlor-alkali plant. Oxford-based Ryze Hydrogen is responsible for transporting the fuel to the fuelling station. From 2023, the hydrogen will be even greener as it will be produced by electrolysis powered by a direct connection to an offshore windfarm.

A new, state of the art fuelling station completed by Danish engineering firm Nel Hydrogen will top up each hydrogen fuel cell bus just once per day in as little as five minutes.

In addition to around £6 million of funding from TfL, more than £5 million of funding has been provided by European bodies – by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, and the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), an executive agency of the European Commission – as well as £1 million from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles.

TfL has paved the way for cheaper hydrogen buses across the rest of the UK, having led the UK procurement within the Joint Initiative for Hydrogen Vehicles across Europe (JIVE), to buy in bulk with other UK authorities. In total, the JIVE project seeks to deploy 139 new zero-emission fuel cell buses and associated refuelling infrastructure across five European countries and has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.

With sustained financial support from the Government, TfL could look to accelerate its plans for a zero-emission bus fleet from 2037 to 2030 in order to reduce carbon emissions and address the public health emergency caused by dirty air.

The Mayor will today visit Perivale bus depot in Ealing to see the new hydrogen double decker and new hydrogen refuelling station.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “We have made real progress in London to clean up our air, but we still have a long way to go because toxic air pollution in our city is still leading to thousands of premature deaths every year and is stunting the growth of children’s lungs. As part of our world-leading ongoing efforts, I’m proud to announce England’s first hydrogen double decker buses, which don’t produce any harmful emissions, will now be put into service.

“Our investment in these hydrogen buses is not only helping us to clean up London’s air, but is supporting jobs and local economics across the UK. This is a great demonstration of how tackling air pollution and the climate crisis and boosting economic growth is about regions working together, investing in the very latest technology.

“I’ve worked hard to ensure TfL’s entire core bus fleet across London now meets the ULEZ standards, and this includes 500 electric buses. Our new investment in hydrogen buses will move us even closer to our ambition of making all London buses zero-emission by 2030.”

Interim Director of Buses, Transport for London, Geoff Hobbs said: “London may have one of the cleanest bus fleets in Europe, but we need to continue to act now to tackle climate change and the city’s toxic air quality. Introducing these hydrogen double decker buses to our fleet, alongside electric buses, diversifies our green bus portfolio and helps us use the right technology for the varying operational requirements of our vast network. This will help Londoners breathe cleaner air.”

“Our investment in hydrogen won’t just benefit London, either. Outside the capital, we are supporting jobs across the UK and our involvement with the industry across Europe is making cleaner fuels more affordable to cities all over Europe.”

Wrightbus CEO, Buta Atwal, said: “At Wrightbus, we’re incredibly proud to be launching our world-first zero emission hydrogen double deckers onto the streets of London to help turn its iconic red buses green. London residents – and visitors to the capital from around the world – can experience what it’s like to ride in a UK-made hydrogen-fuelled vehicle that produces no harmful emissions from its exhaust. Thanks to TfL’s visionary approach, the city will have the first fleet of hydrogen double deckers in England and the benefits to the city in terms of CO2 reduction will be significant. We hope that other cities around the country will follow London’s lead and help us in our ambition to decarbonise public transport and improve air quality.”

Sean O’Shea, CEO at Metroline said: “Hydrogen is an extremely promising renewable fuel for public transport vehicles and we are looking forward to proving its application on London’s roads. The hydrogen buses are an exciting new addition to our fleet, and highlight Metroline’s continued dedication to making London’s streets greener. Our engineering teams have been hard at work preparing the buses for service and we are proud to be operating the first hydrogen powered double-deck buses in London in the hope that it will further showcase the application of sustainable vehicles in the capital.”

Bart Biebuyck, Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen joint undertaking (FCH JU), said: “We are proud to see that thanks to our grant the JIVE project enables the market size scale-up of fuel cell buses in Europe and contributes to the price reduction for the entire value chain. With green hydrogen solutions we can improve the air quality of London and build a climate-neutral transport system for our future generations. London has long and successful history with fuel cell buses and played a key role in leading a joint procurement scheme on behalf of several UK cities for the deployment of world first double decker buses running on hydrogen”.

Jens Egholt Rasmussen, Senior Director Global Sales at Nel Hydrogen A/S, said: “In May 2019, we were proud to announce a contract for a bus H2Station™ solution for Transport for London. Today, I’m happy to confirm a dual bus H2Station™ has been commissioned and is now fully operational. While currently in the ramp-up phase, eventually, 20 buses will be fuelled at the station on a daily basis. Hydrogen buses are already a competitive alternative to battery buses, with significantly faster fuelling time and therefore, less downtime. They are also becoming more of a competitive alternative to diesel buses on a total cost of ownership basis. The market for such solutions is growing quickly and we see significant opportunities going forward. This is an important step in the right direction.”

Notes to editors

• London Mayor Sadiq Khan will visit Perivale bus depot in Ealing on Wednesday 23 June to take a ride on one of the new buses and see the new fuelling station completed by Danish firm Nel Hydrogen.
• The use of hydrogen powered buses in addition to battery electric allows TfL to match the right fuel with the operational requirements of the network. Hydrogen buses store large quantities of energy, which can make them well-suited to longer routes.
• As part of TfL’s wider work to make buses greener, by January this year all buses in its core fleet had been brought up to strict Euro VI emissions standards following a retrofitting programme. Since 2017, TfL has worked to phase out polluting diesel buses and to retrofit older buses with cleaner engines. Now completed, this will see harmful NOx emissions from buses fall by an average of 90 per cent. Transport for London has a total fleet size of c9,000.
  • The European funding is provided by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), and the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), an executive agency of the European Commission. The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), which provided £1 million in funding, is a team working across government to support the early market for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV).
  • The overall objective of the JIVE projects is to promote the commercialisation of fuel cell buses through the use of vehicles and infrastructure on a large-scale so that at the end of the project fuel cell buses are commercially viable for bus operators and can be incorporated into their fleets without subsidies.

Objectives of the JIVE and JIVE 2 projects:

• Achieve the deployment of nearly 300 fuel cell buses across Europe.
• Foster joint procurement processes, encourage manufacturers to develop and refine their fuel cell bus offers, allowing cities to access economies of scale.
• Validate large scale fleets of fuel cell buses in operation and encourage further uptake.
• Showcase fuel cell buses as an environmentally friendly option for public transport authorities, offering the same operational flexibility as diesel buses but without the harmful tailpipe emissions.
• Deploy largest hydrogen refuelling stations in Europe and operate them at near 100% reliability.
• Demonstrate routes to achieve low-cost renewable hydrogen.
• Share data and best practice to support the adoption of the technology and provide evidence of the suitability of fuel cell buses for a full roll-out.
  • The JIVE and JIVE2 projects have received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 735582 and 779563. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe, and Hydrogen Europe Research.
  • The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) is a unique public-private partnership supporting research, technological development and demonstration activities in fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies in Europe. It aims to accelerate the market introduction of these technologies, realising their potential as an instrument in achieving a carbon-lean energy system. Fuel cells, as an efficient conversion technology, and hydrogen, as a clean energy carrier, have a great potential to help fight carbon dioxide emissions, to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons and to contribute to economic growth. The objective of the FCH JU is to bring these benefits to Europeans through a concentrated effort from all sectors. The three members of the FCH JU are the European Commission, Hydrogen Europe and N.ERGHY. More info: www.fch.europa.eu
  • Face coverings are still required by law across the TfL network, including on buses, unless an exemption applies. TfL’s enforcement officers continue to take a hard line with this requirement and hand out fines to those who do not comply. To further reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, customers are also encouraged to travel at quieter times, which are currently between 08:15 and 16:00 and after 17:30 on weekdays, and before noon and after 18:00 at weekends. Customers are also asked to keep bus windows open to ensure a good supply of fresh air.
  • Information about quiet times to travel is available at https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/busiest-times-to-travel

 

We are continuing to keep our employees and customers safe with extensive cleaning on our buses. Watch the video below to see how we are working closely with our cleaning partners at Sasse Group and Cordant Group PLC to ensure our buses are fully sanitised every day for service.

Whilst on duty on Thursday 6th August, a customer took ill on Route 190 Driver Ayisha’s bus. Ayisha’s quick response saved a life and has made all at Metroline proud.

Watch her story below:

Metroline is proud to have gifted £100,000 of its unused apprenticeship levy towards apprenticeships and training within the Automotive and Electrical sector, to be delivered by Total People.

Gifting surplus levy allows large employers like Metroline to sponsor an apprenticeship in their chosen sector or industry, while at the same time supporting employment and skills development in SME businesses who benefit from fully funded apprenticeship training.

Leanne Shackleton, Levy Gifting Manager, Total People said: “This is a fantastic example of levy gifting from Metroline and one that is truly appreciated. Gifting unused levy really will change the lives of multiple apprentices in the sector by enabling them to upskill and take the next step in their career.”

Total People have worked with Metroline previously, providing additional training and support for Metroline’s award winning Engineering Apprenticeship programme, which last year saw a record number of young apprentices selected to join.

Stephen Harris, Managing Director, Metroline said: “Since Brunel and the Victorians the UK has always been at the forefront in delivering engineering expertise and innovation. Metroline has a proud tradition of providing award-winning and industry-leading apprenticeships and we are pleased we can assist in this way. Resources for this area of training are desperately needed in this country. Diverting our unused levy funding benefits similar businesses that understand the value of delivering apprenticeships.”