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Metroline’s latest zero-emission, electric double deck buses hit the streets of London today. Route 134 operating from Potters Bar Garage adds to Metroline’s growing fleet of almost 100 zero-emission, electric buses by the end of this year. Together with Route 43, also operated by Metroline,  the two routes will be London’s first, end-to-end fully electric double deck bus routes by the end of the summer. The conversion of the two routes, which carry around 18.5 million people* across the City annually, to zero emission vehicles will further assist in improving air quality in London.

The first 134 buses entered into service at 6.59am, departing from Potters Bar and made its way to North Finchley where it picked up its first passengers.  Chosen to drive the new bus on its inaugural journey was driver Kevin O’Sullivan. Speaking about the new electric 134, he said: “I think it will make a real difference in making the air cleaner…Electric buses will become popular everywhere in London, and the more there are, it might help more buses outside of the city become electric too.”

The new buses were delivered by Optare, an award-winning British manufacturer known for their lightweight Metrodecker series of double deck buses, based in Yorkshire. The vehicles on the 134 route are the electric Metrodecker EV series and represent the latest in engineering. The bus is able to carry over 90 people to their destinations and has a range of over 150 plus  miles on a single charge. Each bus is charged by purpose built power supplies that have been installed at Potters Bar garage, and like the route 43 buses in Holloway are charged during the night and periods of low local demand in order to mitigate the garage’s energy demand. As the UK’s reliance on renewable sources, already at 33%, increases, the environmentally friendly credentials and sustainable benefits of these buses will continue to increase.

Commenting on the launch, Sean O’Shea, CEO of Metroline said: “Metroline have made a significant investment and commitment to electric buses and with the launch of electric buses on our 134  service today, we continue to lead the way by delivering London’s first completely zero-emissions, all-electric routes. Combined with our electric buses operating on route 43, today’s launch marks a significant step forward for Metroline, and London,  as we continue to deliver greener and environmentally cleaner solutions for our customers on the London Bus network.”

Graham Belgum, Optare’s CEO commented “Optare is thrilled to partner with Metroline in delivering one of TfL’s first zero emission double deck routes.  The launch of the Metrodecker EV into service on route 134 represents the culmination of 4 years work for the company and a major milestone in the our zero emission journey.  We look forward to a successful partnership with Metroline and a growing presence in the Capital”

Holloway Garage won the Environmental Campaign Champion award at last night’s London Bus Awards.

The London Bus Awards are a celebration of the commitment of drivers and teams from across the capital’s bus industry, recognising those who have gone the extra mile to deliver an excellent service to customers. Taking place in London’s Living Room on the top level of London’s iconic City Hall, the awards were hosted by Claire Mann, Director of Bus Operations at Transport for London, who praised the industry’s work in delivering an improving service and strong implementation of Destination Zero training. The award’s 8 categories were highly contested between nominees from a range for different London Bus Operators, which also included Metroline’s Willesden Garage who were shortlisted for the Best Vehicle Care Award.

The Environmental Campaign Champion award recognised the efforts of an operator or individual who have made substantial efforts to contribute towards cleaner air for London, and have demonstrated innovation, leadership and commitment towards achieving this. Metroline’s Holloway garage was commended for their community focused initiatives, including their aim to improve air quality though the ‘Cleaner Air for Bus Drivers’ initiative, and the implementation of a fully electric bus route (43) operating from the garage.

The judges were greatly impressed by the multiple initiatives Holloway Garage had put in place to help improve its surrounding environment. In operation since 1907, Holloway’s garage has seen a number of significant transport developments, moving from the age of horses to trams, trolleybuses to routemasters, and now to more environmentally friendly and sustainable vehicles.  The ‘Cleaner Air for Bus Drivers’ initiative saw the garage work with partners, CWC Environmental, Archway ZEN and the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund,  and its drivers to limit the amount of time spent idling with their engines running. Encouraging drivers to switch off when stopped has helped to improve air quality for both drivers and local residents, and helped to reduce noise levels around bus stops. In addition, Holloway Garage’s investment and commitment to electric buses saw significant development  to enable electric buses to charge and operate from Holloway with ease as well as a number of measures that will improve the environment along each round and around the bus garage.

Speaking about the award win, Fola Olawo-Jerome, Metroline’s Garage Manager at Holloway, said: “We are delighted to have won the Environmental Campaign Champion award. We have been working very hard at our garage to deliver London’s first electric bus route and improve air quality for the local community. This award is a great honour and it will motivate everyone in the garage to keep up the good work.”

Sean O’Shea, Chief Executive Officer of Metroline said, “This is a great recognition of all of the hard work that has been put in locally to get our electric buses into service. Congratulations to the whole team at Holloway Garage.”

London bus operator Metroline launched its new all-electric, zero emissions buses on London’s streets today, the first day of the inaugural London Climate Action Week.

 

By the end of summer, along with route 134 which is also operated by Metroline, these 2 routes will become London’s first fully electric, zero-emission double deck services. The conversion of these routes, which carry around 18.5 million people* across the City annually, to zero emission vehicles will further assist in improving the air quality in London.

 

The first service took to roads this morning at 7.36am, departing Holloway Garage and making its way to Friern Barnet, where it served its first passengers at just past 8am this morning. Customers were impressed by the environmental credentials of the bus and commented on the smooth and comfortable journey the service provided.

 

The bus’ maiden journey was driven by Afzol Hussain. A driver at Holloway since 2012, and a Mentor at the garage who has been training staff on the new buses, Hussain shared his excitement, saying, “”It feels good. Out of all the years driving on route 43, starting from driving buses like the VPL, TP…this electric bus is far better.” He added, “This bus doesn’t make any noise. The passenger doesn’t feel like they are sitting in a bus it is so comfortable.”  “It will have a big impact on the environment…I think that in the next decade, every bus in London will be electric.” Afzol said.”

 

The new buses are the result of a collaboration by Chinese automotive company BYD and British Bus builders Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), and will operate from Holloway garage. The new vehicles will be completely electric, utilising both BYD’s proven electric chassis and ADL’s expertly designed E400 MMC body, and will contribute to cleaner air in London through zero emissions.

 

Metroline’s launch coincides with the first ever London Climate Action Week. A new initiative launched by the Mayor of London that aims to encourage low emission transport and clean energy, in addition to inspiring community action and business leadership on climate issues. Furthermore, following the launch of the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ), Metroline has committed to ensuring its fleet meets all low-emissions standards, and the implementation of an all-electric route 43 represents a significant step forward for both the Company and London.

 

The new buses are powered by power supplies housed in Holloway garage. With a daily mileage range in excess of 200 miles, the buses are only recharged at night when local demand for electricity is at its lowest. With the UK drawing 33% of its power from renewable sources, the buses’ already impressive environmentally friendly credentials will only continue to become more sustainable with each passing year.

 

The conversion of route 43 route is the latest development in Metroline’s advocacy for electric transport vehicles, which will continue with the introduction of electric buses on route 134 later this year. Metroline has consistently led the way for the adoption of industry leading technologies including electric buses in the capital, having been chosen to pilot 5 prototype BYD electric buses on London streets and subsequently investing in the UK’s largest order of electric buses from BYD. Metroline’s experience with BYD buses meant that they were perfectly placed to assist in the development of the new bus. Discussing the new electric buses, Adrian Jones, Engineering Director, Metroline said:

 

“The launch of the new electric buses on route 43 is a triumph for both Metroline and for London. Providing a new challenge for Metroline’s engineering teams, we worked closely with engineers at BYD to develop these new buses, using what we learnt from our trials with their prototypes. As a result, they are perfectly designed to deliver Londoners to their destinations, whilst helping to keep London’s air cleaner with zero-emissions.”

 

Commenting on the introduction of electric buses onto the No.43 route, Sean O’Shea, CEO, Metroline, said:

 

“It is fitting that the launch of London’s first all-electric route coincides with the start of London Climate Action Week. This is a significant step, route 43 serves thousands of Londoners each day from the heart of the City at London Bridge and Bank, to Islington and Holloway, as well as the suburbs in North London. It has been a great team effort to be ready for this moment, and it demonstrates our continued investment and commitment to leading the way for our customers and helping provide cleaner air for Londoners with our ever growing fleet of all-electric, zero emissions buses.”

Potters Bus Garage Open Day: Saturday 20th July 2019, 10.30am – 4pm.

On Saturday 20th July 2019, Metroline will again open the doors of its bus garage in Potters Bar High Street to local people and transport enthusiasts alike from where up to 200 buses operate from.

The aim as in past years is to raise funds for charities such as Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation. Admission is by programme, priced at £2.50, available at the garage entrance. This year, we again hope to raise over £1,000 for charities similar to last year.

Atrractions include a display of buses, some dating back to the 1950’s and 1960’s through to the present day, including brand new all electric double deckers. A number of stalls will also be present selling transport memorabilia.

Again we shall be running our popular free bus rides to local destinations with a variety of different vehicles.

Metroline Buses 84, 242 and PB1 stop at the garage entrance.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

• Adrian Jones is appointed Engineering Director at Metroline, and will oversee the Company’s London Engineering Operations.

• This follows the appointments of Stephen Harris as Metroline’s Managing Director, Ian Foster as Group Engineering Director and Sean O’Shea as Chief Executive Officer.

• Metroline, a member of ComfortDelGro continues to deliver innovative and pioneering services in London with the introduction of over 60 fully electric buses across two routes.

London bus company Metroline has announced the appointment of Adrian Jones as the new Engineering Director. Previously Metroline’s Chief Engineer with a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years, Adrian is the latest in a series of new high-level appointments at Metroline, London’s 2^nd largest bus operator.

A member of the Singapore based ComfortDelGro Group, Metroline continues to be one of London’s most ambitious and dynamic bus companies, employing more than 5000 people, across 14 garages with 99 of London’s busiest routes, the company strives to innovate, lead and grow with the aim of being the best bus company in the capital.

As Engineering Director, Adrian will be at the helm of Metroline’s 250 strong engineering team and fleet of over 1700 buses, operating from numerous engineering sites across London, including the purpose built engineering facility, the Central Engineering and Logistics Facility (CELF).

Speaking about his appointment, Adrian said “I am delighted to have been appointed as Engineering Director at Metroline. Working with our team of dedicated engineers across the company has been a very rewarding experience, and I am excited to be overseeing things at a particularly exciting time for engineering, with the addition of the new electric buses into our fleet. Having worked at Metroline for over 4 years, I am looking forward to helping the Company to continue to innovate and maintain Metroline’s strong reputation for engineering excellence.”

Stephen Harris, Managing Director, Metroline, commented “I am really pleased to see Adrian become Engineering Director at Metroline. Adrian has always sought to bring fresh ideas to the team and has over a number of years become an integral part of the Metroline team and  I have no doubt that we will see the company’s industry-leading engineering arm continue to excel under his oversight. Metroline’s engineering division has always been at the forefront of London’s bus system, and I am confident we will continue to lead the way and deliver the best service possible.”

The announcement follows significant recent appointments at Metroline over the last year including Stephen Harris as Managing Director and Ian Foster as Group Engineering Director. Stephen has worked with Metroline and its predecessors since 1986, leaving briefly in 2001 and returning to Metroline as an Area Business Manager, Operations Director and now Managing Director. Sean O’Shea was also appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer after serving the company for 28 years and was previously Metroline’s Chief Operating Officer.

The new appointments follow the 2018 departure of former CEO Jaspal Singh and reflect Metroline’s strategy to restructure to help further improve the company’s efficiency and to provide reliability and long term stability in line with ComfortDelGro’s objectives of growing the business through delivering an industry leading service.

Discussing Metroline’s ambitions for the future, Chief Executive Officer Sean O’Shea added “It’s an exciting time to be part of Metroline, the new appointments reflect our continued desire to lead from the front, innovate and deliver the high quality, safe and reliable service that London expects. Our current focus is the expansion of our electric bus operations providing zero-emissions services for Londoners and leading the way for bus operators across the capital. As part of ComfortDelGro, one of the world’s largest land transport companies for passengers, our continued ambition is to be the best bus company in London through delivering a world-class service.”

Metroline is a wholly-owned London subsidiary of ComfortDelGro Corporation. Metroline’s principal business is the provision of bus services under contract to London Buses, operating through an area that extends from North to West London, including Central London and the City, carrying over 1.2 million passengers every day.

We are really pleased to have launched our special library bus this week at the Sinai Jewish Primary School. The bus will now be permanently located in the playground and will help put reading at the heart of the school, promoting a love of books and helping the children to learn library skills, practice story making, listen to stories and share books.

The ribbon was cut this week at the official launch by Headteacher, Mrs Lipshaw, CEO of Metroline, Sean O’Shea and the Mayor of Brent, Cllr Arshad Mahmood.

Commenting at the launch, Sean O’Shea said,

“I’m delighted to see our bus here at the Sinai Jewish School…When I talk about the places that Metroline transports people I have to date mentioned places like Harrow, Wembley and Edgware. With this bus I’ll have to add a new destination which is wherever the children’s imagination will take them.”

Speaking about the bus Mrs Lipshaw commented,

“This is an amazing opportunity for our school, to encourage the children to read in an age where they have become so dependent on technology. I want the children to revitalise their enthusiasm for reading real books. We hope that this will help to maintain our excellent reading levels in the school and give the children a rich variety of genre in their reading.”

Thank you to everyone at Sinai Jewish Primary School for such a warm welcome and we hope everyone enjoys this special bus.

Monday 26^th November:  Metroline launched London’s first bus driver apprenticeship that will provide support, training and upskilling over a period of 12 months to 24 new apprentices.

The 24 successfully selected apprentices to join Metroline’s new programme will be involved in modules designed to help develop confidence and encourage skills development, with practical hands on and classroom based training, whilst being paid to learn and train to become a bus driver for one of London’s leading bus operators.

The apprenticeship with be delivered within the framework of the Apprentice Levy arrangements, using a combination of practical training and off-the-job learning which is supported by our training partner Interserve.

Coinciding with the launch of Metroline’s Bus Driver Apprenticeship, Metroline also officially opened new training centres at its Cricklewood and Willesden Junction garages. The ‘Metroline Centres for Skills and Development’ are new training facilities equipped with modern interactive training aids and will be used for training and skills development across the business ranging from Management Training to improving basic literacy and numeracy skills.

Commenting on these events, Metroline’s CEO Sean O’Shea said:

“Metroline have run an award-winning, industry leading engineering apprenticeship for a number of years now and as a result, we understand the positive benefits that apprenticeships can bring to our industry and the communities that we operate in. Being able to extend this now to include drivers is a very positive step forward and combined with launching our new Metroline Centres for Skills and Development, this highlights our continued commitment to investing in our people.”

Claire Mann, Director of Bus Operations at TfL, said:

“We’re delighted that Metroline are introducing this apprenticeship scheme that will give people vital life skills and training. Bus drivers are the lifeblood of this city and anything that encourages more Londoners to consider a rewarding and vital career as a driver on our historic and iconic buses is good for the capital.”

Ron Capper, Head of Metroline’s Recruitment and Training said:

“We have a great training team at Metroline that continually sets the standards in terms of delivering training excellence so that our drivers are prepared and able to provide the safest driving standards and an excellent customer experience. We are confident that our new apprentices will really benefit from this initiative and will have a great experience gaining confidence, new skills and an additional recognised qualification.”

Congratulations to Metroline’s Mitesh Patel who was the winner of the Top Scoring Mechanical Technician and runner up in the Vehicle Inspector categories at the 2018 Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) Skills Challenge.

Daniel Briscoe continued the success for Metroline earning the Runner up prize in the Apprentice Category.

“This is a fantastic result, Mitesh has really demonstrated what we know he is capable of, he is a really dedicated and valued member of our team, and Daniel continues to show that Metroline has an exceptional apprenticeship programme that is helping to produce our engineers and leaders of tomorrow. My sincere congratulations to them both, “ said Metroline’s Director of Engineering, Ian Foster.

After joining Metroline as an apprentice in 2006, Mitesh became a qualified engineer in 2011 and has earned an HNC in Vehicle Operations and Management with Automotive Engineering Technology from the College of North-West London. Mitesh secured a position as Assistant Technical Manager before becoming a Master Technician three years later. He has been in this role for a year and a half. Daniel joined Metroline in 2014 and is a 4th year apprentice and is currently based in Metroline Uxbridge.

Congratulations to Metroline’s Ion Dinu, winner of the ‘Actions above and beyond the call of duty’ Award at the 2018 London Bus Awards for his response to a customer in distress.

On 25 June, Driver Dinu was driving on the 332 route when he noticed that a female travelling alone was crying. When trying to find out why the woman was in distress, Driver Dinu realised that she did not speak English, and wasting no time he called Lee Jackson, CentreComm Operations Manager via a code red call on the iBus radio and asked for assistance. Lee knew that his colleague, Swinder Sethi, Real Time Passenger Information Officer spoke Hindi and Punjabi so he asked her to assist him.

Lee asked Driver Dinu if he could take his phone number so that Swinder could speak to the passenger, Driver Dinu obliged and after talking with the passenger via Driver Dinu’s mobile phone, they noticed that woman seemed confused and wanted to see her mother in Luton. It was at this point that they decided to call the police to assists this vulnerable person.

Just as the police arrived, CentreComm received a missing persons call from the police looking for an 82 year old Indian female in the Harrow Road area that was suffering from Alzheimer’s. Calling Driver Dinu back on his mobile phone, CentreComm spoke to the police officers on scene. It appeared that the female on Dinu’s bus was the missing person.

Commenting on this positive conclusion, Lee says “If it hadn’t been for Driver Dinu’s quick thinking and swift cooperation with CentreComm, we may not have had such a happy outcome for this woman. Driver Dinu’s actions in this situation are great examples of helping one of our customers in need. We can’t thank Driver Dinu enough for his assistance. He’s a credit to himself, Cricklewood Garage and Metroline.”

“Knowing there was a positive outcome for our customer is a great relief and we were all pleased that this ended the way it did. It really shows that no matter how busy things get for a driver, they have the ability to make a massive impact and difference for people’s lives, every day, every journey. Knowing Mr Ion Dinu and the kind of person he is and his caring and professional attitude, it came as no surprise to anyone at the garage that he was the driver involved, he is a credit to our garage and we are proud of him, especially in this instance where his actions made a real difference and we are very proud of him for receiving this award,” said Garage Manager Rodolfo Brusa.

Congratulations to Metroline’s Peter Noyes who celebrated a remarkable 50 years of service to the bus industry on Monday 11^th September 2017.

Peter initially joined London Transport on Monday 11^th September 1967 as a Trainee Schedule Compiler on a starting salary was £510 p.a, less than £10 per week! He established himself in the department and by 1979 was promoted to Deputy Section Leader for the Watling District Schedules Team which included regular visits to the Divisional Office at Cricklewood Garage. Recognising his experience and expertise, in 1982 he was seconded to London Transport International, spending 12 weeks working at the SBS Head Office on Braddell Road in Singapore. During this time Peter was part of the “Singapore Comprehensive Bus Study” that examined the industry in Singapore and recommended changes to scheduling procedures, he claims to still have the T-shirt from this visit.

When tendering of bus services in London commenced in 1985, the London Transport Schedules Office was de-centralised and Peter was transferred to the new Central Traffic Division at Euston, working for the new MD Peter Hendy. In 1989 when individual bus companies were created, he was promoted to Schedules Manager for London Northern. With the privatisation of bus companies in 1994, London Northern was acquired by MTL and in 1998 this was acquired by Metroline, where he then became Head of Planning and Tendering. When ComfortDelGro acquired Metroline in 2000, Peter was surprised to see acquaintances from his visit to Singapore 18 years previously, who all recognised him immediately.

With all the moving and changing in the industry, Peter notes that as his journey has changed over the years, his commute has increased to over 70 miles each way since 1998, which is approximately 33,000 miles each year, amounting to over 1,000,000 miles travelled to and from work (by train and bus) during the past 50 years!

At a special celebratory lunch held in Peter’s honour at Metroline’s Head Office, CEO Jaspal Singh noted, “Peter has immense experience and knowledge of our industry and has served London’s bus travelling public over the past 50 years with passion, dedication and professionalism. Thank you for your service and congratulations on reaching this milestone Peter.”

On 25 June, Driver Dinu was driving on the 332 route when he noticed that a female travelling alone was crying. When trying to find out why the woman was in distress, Driver Dinu realised that she did not speak English. Wasting no time Driver Dinu called Lee Jackson, CentreComm Operations Manager via a code red call on the iBus radio and asked for assistance. Lee knew that his colleague, Swinder Sethi, Real Time Passenger Information Officer spoke Hindi and Punjabi so he asked her to assist him.

Lee asked Driver Dinu if he could take his phone number so that Swinder could speak to the passenger, Driver Dinu obliged. After talking with the passenger via Driver Dinu’s mobile phone, Swinder and Lee noticed that she seemed confused and wanted to see her mother in Luton. It was at this point Lee decided to call the police as he thought she was a vulnerable person.

Just as the police arrived, CentreComm received a missing persons call from the police looking for an 82 year old Indian female in the Harrow Road area that was suffering from Alzheimer’s. Calling Driver Dinu back on his mobile phone, CentreComm spoke to the police officers on scene. It appeared that the female on Dinu’s bus was the missing person.

Commenting on this positive conclusion, Lee says “If it hadn’t been for Driver Dinu’s quick thinking and swift cooperation with CentreComm, we may not have had such a happy outcome for this woman. Driver Dinu’s actions in this situation are great examples of helping one of our customers in need. We can’t thank Driver Dinu enough for his assistance. He’s a credit to himself, Cricklewood Garage and Metroline.”

Congratulations to Tracey Palmer for winning the prestigious Accessibility Champion award at the 2017 London Bus Awards.  Tracey is well-known for being a caring, patient and compassionate driver and is a favourite with passengers and colleagues.   Moreover, she is a passionate advocate for older and disabled passenger transport accessibility and was appointed as the Holloway Garage Accessibility Champion to promote awareness of accessibility issues and help empower passengers to be more confident when using the bus.

Tracey was completely shocked, but delighted to receive this well deserved award and according to Garage Manager Fola Olawo-Jerome , she was the prefect choice as, “Tracey is always first to volunteer to support and participate in accessibility initiatives and really understands the responsibility of being a champion for accessibility; helping share information with customers to help improve their experience and build their confidence, as well as sharing information with colleagues so that they are making sure our services are accessible to all.”

Operations Manager Joannis Evlogimenos said “Tracey has an excellent understanding of the issues many older and disabled passengers experience and is always ready to help, and is a vocal advocate of safety and accessibility. She leads by example and brings passion, knowledge, experience and empathy to her role. Her commitment to empowering the lives of older and disabled passengers is a great example for us all and we are very proud of her, well done.”