The London Enviro 400 MMC and City

History

Beddall, David

Europe

Pen and Sword Transport

The low-floor bus was first introduced to the streets of London in 1994 with a fleet of sixty single-decks entering services with London Buses Limited, passing quickly to the new privatised operators. These vehicles were not that popular, and no further examples arrived into London until 1996 in the form of the Dennis Dart SLF. It was almost another two years before the first low-floor double-deckers entered service in the capital. The early 2000s saw low-floor buses flood the capital, mainly of the DAF and Dennis variety, with a smaller number of Volvos entering service. The second generation of low-floor vehicles were introduced to the capital in 2006 in the form of the Enviro range produced by Alexander Dennis Limited. The Enviro200 and Enviro400 models were taken into stock by many London operators, but some chose other models.With 180 wonderful photographs, David Beddall has produced a fascinating tribute to this part of London's bus history.

London's Low-floor Buses

Engineering & Transportation

Automotive

Amberley Publishing

Plaxton launched the President model in 1997 but construction of the type did not commence until 1999. DAF was the first chassis manufacture to team up with Plaxton, offering a product on the DB250LF chassis. Dennis closely followed with the Trident, and Volvo with the B7TL. The latter chassis proved to be most popular on the President. Large orders for the President were received from First, Go-Ahead London, Metroline, London Untied and Arriva London. Each operator had their preference to the chassis underneath the President bodywork. In 2001 Plaxton became part of the Transbus International consortium, and the President model was built alongside the ALX400, a model that eventually replaced the President in 2005.

London's Plaxton President Buses

Transportation

The Alexander ALX400 was the first low-floor bus body built in the United Kingdom, first appearing in 1997. The first ALX400s were placed on the DAF DB250LF chassis, closely followed by the Dennis Trident. 2000 saw the launch of the Volvo B7TL / ALX400 combination. The ALX400 soon became one of the more popular low-floor double-decks not only in London, but in the UK. The introduction of the Enviro 400 model in 2005 spelt the end of the ALX400, and in 2006 the model was discontinued. A large number of ALX400s were purchased by Arriva, Stagecoach and First, along with smaller orders from the Go-Ahead group.

London's ALX400 Buses

Wrightbus of Ballymena built its first double-deck body in 2001, naming it the Eclipse Gemini. Unlike its rivals, it was available on the DAF/VDL and Volvo chassis. Arriva London was a big customer for the type, taking stock of both the Volvo B7TL and DAF DB250 models, being the only customer for the latter model. First and Go-Ahead London took stock of the Volvo B7TL model. The Gemini 2 model was launched in 2009, again only on the VDL and Volvo chassis. Arriva London, First and Go-Ahead London were quick to snap up further examples of this new model, the integral VDL DB300 model (Arriva) and the newly introduced B9TL. The Volvo B5LH hybrid chassis became available with Gemini 2 bodywork in 2008 and was received well by London operators. 2013 saw the launch of the Gemini 3 body style, which varied slightly from the Gemini 2 in appearance. In 2014, the Gemini 3 gained the same appearance of the newly launched Streetdeck model, drastically changing the appearance of the Gemini.

London's Gemini Buses

The Enviro200 was a new midibus launched by Transbus International in 2003, but was unsuccessful. A relaunch of the model in 2006 turned the model into a success, being purchased by a large number of operators, big and small, not only the UK but around the world. Designed as a replacement for the ALX200 and Plaxton Pointer models, the Enviro200 soon became a popular choice with all London operators. In 2014, Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) launched the MMC (Major Model Change) version, which was originally offered alongside the 'Classic' model that was eventually dropped in 2015. In 2018, a longer version of the Enviro200 MMC was produced, replacing the Enviro 300 saloon. Like its predecessors, the Enviro200 is available in a variety of lengths to suit the needs of operators.

London's Enviro200 Buses

Since the mid-1940s, London began to resell its buses after they were no longer suitable for service in the capital. Bus and coach operators both big and small would snap up these buses and use them for further service. Perhaps the most noticeable cascade of former London Buses was of the AEC Routemaster during the 1980s, which were bought en mass by provincial operators around the country. The continual investment of new buses in London in the early 2000s saw the displacement of many of the early low-floor buses to provincial operators. Changes to emission standards led to the withdrawal of further low-floor buses from the capital, benefiting the independent operators around the country. London Low-Floor Buses in Exile showcases the numerous liveries and operators of former London low-floor buses around the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland between 2000 and 2021.

London's Low-Floor Buses in Exile

Over the years Scania has provided various models for operation in London, first arriving in 1989. A larger batch of Scania N113CRBs were purchased by London Buses Limited in the early 1990s, bodied by Alexander and Northern Counties. These passed to privatised operators in 1994. Scania re-entered the London market in 2002 when Metrobus took stock of a fleet of single-deckers. The Scania N94UD and Scania OmniCity double-deck models became popular with a number of operators between 2006 and 2012. Although not purchased in the same numbers as its rivals, the London Scanias provided Londoners with a reliable service for many years. The introduction of new rolling stock, along with standardisation, spelt the end of the type in London service.This book provides a potted history of the various Scania models during their service in the capital.

London's Scania Buses

Farrer-Beddall, Liam

Introduced in 1989, the Dennis Dart became one of the most successful midibuses in the UK. Bodywork was supplied by Carlyle, Wrightbus, Reeve Burgess, Plaxton, Alexander and Wadham Stringer. A large number were taken into stock by London operators, replacing many of the smaller midibuses. A low-floor version, the Dart SLF, was introduced in 1995, and like the step-entrance Dart this model also became popular with operators around the United Kingdom, as well as Hong Kong. In 2001 Transbus took over production, only to revert to the Alexander Dennis name in 2005. The last Darts entered service in London during 2007, after which time the Enviro 200 took over. London Dart and Dart SLF provides a history of this popular London single-decker, from its introduction to its demise.

The London Dennis Dart and Dart SLF

Launched by Transbus in 2004, the original Enviro 200 mode was not a success. The Enviro 200 was relaunched in 2006, this new model becoming more successful. The new model was taken into stock by many London operators, replacing older single-deckers in their fleets. The Enviro 200 had just as much success as its predecessor, the Dennis Dart SLF. As with the Dart SLF, the Enviro 200 was available in a number of lengths. 2014 saw the launch of the Enviro 200 MMC (major model change), this replacing the original 'classic' Enviro 200 in 2018. The first all-electric Enviro 200 MMCs arrived in London in 2016, this becoming the standard model for new contracts. The London Enviro 200 looks at the history of the Enviro 200 and Enviro 200 MMC model in London service.

The London Enviro 200

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Beddall, David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Beddall, David