Alexander Dennis Enviro 400
Encyclopedia
The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 is a 2-axle double-decker bus
built by Alexander Dennis
from late 2005. It is designed as the replacement of the Alexander ALX400
body.
The Enviro400 was designed by TransBus International until its collapse and reformation as Alexander Dennis. The Enviro400, like the other products in the Enviro range, as a complete bus, but the body is also available on the Volvo B7TL
/B9TL
and Scania N230UD
chassis for sale in the UK market. The Enviro400 chassis can also be built with body by other manufacturers.
The Enviro400 featured an innovative seating layout that maximized use of seating space on the lower deck by placing 2 forward-facing moulded seats onto the front nearside wheelarch box with a small luggage shelf on the rear-half, and also a single forward-facing moulded seat on the front off-side wheelarch hub between the driver's partition and the staircase. The offside seat is not popular due to a lack of leg- and head-room with the driver's partition immediately in front and the stairs immediately above and behind the seat, and only a small side-window giving it a claustrophobic feel. This feature is not included on Enviro400 with spiral staircase, but is standard on straight staircase variant.
London
operator Metroline
was the first company to order the Enviro400, with the first of 28 entering service in January 2006. One dual door demonstrator
, named "Spirit of London", was delivered to Stagecoach London
to replace the Dennis Trident destroyed during 7 July 2005 London bombings
http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=5785 and a single door demonstrator was delivered to the then Travel West Midlands (now National Express West Midlands
) for evaluation. Both prototypes were exhibited at "Coach & Bus Live 2005" in the National Exhibition Centre
in Birmingham
, UK
and then entered service in January 2006. Metroline, National Express West Midlands and the Stagecoach Group
were large customers of the Dennis Trident.
The Enviro400 had sold well in London with a number of operators, such as Travel London (now known as Abellio London) and London General
(which received the first Euro IV-engined Enviro400 in May 2006), operating these buses. It is also popular with Stagecoach, who placed its first order of 130 low-height models in February 2006, later followed by another 389 buses with Euro IV/V engine. Arriva
also received Enviro400s for their UK operations, Arriva Merseyside
relaunched their Wirral - Liverpool 'Cross River' services with a batch of 23 in January 2009, and a further batch of 12 were introduced to Arriva Merseyside's cross-Liverpool service 60 linking Bootle with Aigburth in September 2009.
In 2009, Kowloon Motor Bus
and Citybus
of Hong Kong
received two (one for each operator) air-conditioned Enviro400 for evaluation, both of them entered service in February 2010. Citybus introduced one more in July 2010. In November 2010, Alexander Dennis had confirmed an extra order of 38 Enviro400s from Citybus at press conference of Euro Bus Expo 2010 held in Birmingham, UK. MTR Corporation
also ordered 9 Enviro400s for MTR Bus service.
Besides, one example was built for use in the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
On 13 October 2006, Solent Blue Line
received a Volvo B7TL/Enviro400 meeting the Euro III emission standard, with the interior in Wilts & Dorset
livery. This remains a one-off as all subsequent Enviro400s on Volvo chassis were built on the B9TL chassis. An Arriva demonstrator was shown at Euro Bus Expo in 2006 to the latter standard.
Irish state run operator Dublin Bus
was the first bus operator to order the Volvo B9TL-based Enviro400, it ordered 50 with the first of these entered service on 14 August 2007, later followed by another 50. In the UK, East Yorkshire Motor Services
took delivery of 5 Enviro400-bodied Volvo B9TL in December 2007, which entered service in January 2008. London General also received 3 Enviro400-bodied Volvo B9TLs in October 2008, which are being evaluated against integral Enviro400s and Wright Eclipse Gemini
-bodied Volvo B7TL/B9TLs that are extensively featured in Go-Ahead's
London Central
/General fleets.
Stagecoach announced on 28 February 2007 that it had ordered 25 Enviro400s with Scania N230UD chassis, which were subsequently delivered in early 2008. These were followed by another 56 for delivery in 2009, 100 for 2009/10, 100 for 2010/11 and another 91 for 2011/12. Oxford Bus Company
and Wilts & Dorset also received some examples.
Competitors (bodywork):
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
built by Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis Limited is the largest bus builder in the United Kingdom. It incorporated the three last surviving bus manufacturers which started bus production before World War II: Dennis, Alexander and Plaxton.- History :Alexander Dennis was formed as TransBus on 1 January 2001, after the...
from late 2005. It is designed as the replacement of the Alexander ALX400
Alexander ALX400
The Alexander ALX400 is a 2-axle double-decker bus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders...
body.
The Enviro400 was designed by TransBus International until its collapse and reformation as Alexander Dennis. The Enviro400, like the other products in the Enviro range, as a complete bus, but the body is also available on the Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
/B9TL
Volvo B9TL
The Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo Buses since 2002. It superseded the older Volvo B10TL and the Volvo B7TL.-Chassis:...
and Scania N230UD
Scania N-series
Scania N-series is a series of city bus with straight-up, transversely mounted Euro IV/Euro V engine at the rear.It is available as N230UB, N270UB as well as the N230UD and N270UD...
chassis for sale in the UK market. The Enviro400 chassis can also be built with body by other manufacturers.
The Enviro400 featured an innovative seating layout that maximized use of seating space on the lower deck by placing 2 forward-facing moulded seats onto the front nearside wheelarch box with a small luggage shelf on the rear-half, and also a single forward-facing moulded seat on the front off-side wheelarch hub between the driver's partition and the staircase. The offside seat is not popular due to a lack of leg- and head-room with the driver's partition immediately in front and the stairs immediately above and behind the seat, and only a small side-window giving it a claustrophobic feel. This feature is not included on Enviro400 with spiral staircase, but is standard on straight staircase variant.
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
operator Metroline
Metroline
Metroline, owned by ComfortDelGro Corporation of Singapore, is one of many companies operating bus services in London under the management of London Buses.-Company history:...
was the first company to order the Enviro400, with the first of 28 entering service in January 2006. One dual door demonstrator
Demonstrator model
A Demonstrator model is an example of something used in some kind of presentation or exhibit.-Sales demonstrators:...
, named "Spirit of London", was delivered to Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London , is a bus company which principally operates services in the UK capital city of London, under contract to the London Buses arm of Transport for London. It was formed in 1989 as a subsidiary of London Buses. The company privatised in 1994 and acquired by the Stagecoach Group, but...
to replace the Dennis Trident destroyed during 7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=5785 and a single door demonstrator was delivered to the then Travel West Midlands (now National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West...
) for evaluation. Both prototypes were exhibited at "Coach & Bus Live 2005" in the National Exhibition Centre
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and then entered service in January 2006. Metroline, National Express West Midlands and the Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
were large customers of the Dennis Trident.
The Enviro400 had sold well in London with a number of operators, such as Travel London (now known as Abellio London) and London General
London General
London General is a bus company operating in Surrey ang Greater London. It is owned by the Go-Ahead Group and operates most buses under contract to London Buses...
(which received the first Euro IV-engined Enviro400 in May 2006), operating these buses. It is also popular with Stagecoach, who placed its first order of 130 low-height models in February 2006, later followed by another 389 buses with Euro IV/V engine. Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
also received Enviro400s for their UK operations, Arriva Merseyside
Arriva North West
Arriva North West is a division of Arriva that operates bus services around North West England. It consists of two companies: Arriva North West Ltd and Arriva Merseyside Ltd....
relaunched their Wirral - Liverpool 'Cross River' services with a batch of 23 in January 2009, and a further batch of 12 were introduced to Arriva Merseyside's cross-Liverpool service 60 linking Bootle with Aigburth in September 2009.
In 2009, Kowloon Motor Bus
Kowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited , a company of the Transport International Holdings Limited, is the largest franchised bus operators in Hong Kong, and one of the largest privately owned public bus operators in the world...
and Citybus
Citybus (Hong Kong)
Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in Hong Kong. It provides both franchised and non-franchised bus service. The franchised route network serves mainly Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour routes , Ocean Park, North Lantau and Hong Kong International Airport...
of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
received two (one for each operator) air-conditioned Enviro400 for evaluation, both of them entered service in February 2010. Citybus introduced one more in July 2010. In November 2010, Alexander Dennis had confirmed an extra order of 38 Enviro400s from Citybus at press conference of Euro Bus Expo 2010 held in Birmingham, UK. MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR owns and runs the Hong Kong MTR metro system, and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong...
also ordered 9 Enviro400s for MTR Bus service.
Besides, one example was built for use in the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
On 13 October 2006, Solent Blue Line
Solent Blue Line
Solent Blue Line Ltd formerly Musterphantom Ltd is a bus company which operates buses in Hampshire, England under the names Bluestar and Uni-link. The company was taken over along with its parent, Southern Vectis in 2005 by The Go-Ahead Group. From 25 February 2008, all previous Solent Blue Line...
received a Volvo B7TL/Enviro400 meeting the Euro III emission standard, with the interior in Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset is a bus company in England covering Poole, Bournemouth, East Dorset, South Wiltshire and West Hampshire. Its local headquarters is in Poole, but it is owned by the Go-Ahead Group, a major UK transport group....
livery. This remains a one-off as all subsequent Enviro400s on Volvo chassis were built on the B9TL chassis. An Arriva demonstrator was shown at Euro Bus Expo in 2006 to the latter standard.
Irish state run operator Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...
was the first bus operator to order the Volvo B9TL-based Enviro400, it ordered 50 with the first of these entered service on 14 August 2007, later followed by another 50. In the UK, East Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services is a large bus and coach operator which operates throughout Kingston upon Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire coast and the North York Moors. In and around Scarborough, EYMS operates as Scarborough & District Motor Services...
took delivery of 5 Enviro400-bodied Volvo B9TL in December 2007, which entered service in January 2008. London General also received 3 Enviro400-bodied Volvo B9TLs in October 2008, which are being evaluated against integral Enviro400s and Wright Eclipse Gemini
Wright Eclipse Gemini
The Wright Eclipse Gemini is a type of double-decker bus body built for Volvo B7TL and later Volvo B9TL and Volvo B5L Hybrid for use in the United Kingdom....
-bodied Volvo B7TL/B9TLs that are extensively featured in Go-Ahead's
Go-Ahead London
Go-Ahead London is the trading name used collectively for the London bus operations of the Go-Ahead Group. The name first appeared in August 2008, before which the company had traded under separate names and brands...
London Central
London Central
London Central is one of many operators of London Buses. It was established in late 1988 as one of 12 operating subsidiaries of London Buses Limited , and was privatised to the Go-Ahead Group in September 1994...
/General fleets.
Stagecoach announced on 28 February 2007 that it had ordered 25 Enviro400s with Scania N230UD chassis, which were subsequently delivered in early 2008. These were followed by another 56 for delivery in 2009, 100 for 2009/10, 100 for 2010/11 and another 91 for 2011/12. Oxford Bus Company
Oxford Bus Company
Oxford Bus Company is a bus operator serving the city and surrounding area of Oxford, England and is the trading name of City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd. It is now a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group...
and Wilts & Dorset also received some examples.
See also
Competitors (chassis/complete bus):- Scania N94UD/N230UD/N270UDScania N-seriesScania N-series is a series of city bus with straight-up, transversely mounted Euro IV/Euro V engine at the rear.It is available as N230UB, N270UB as well as the N230UD and N270UD...
- Scania OmniCityScania OmniCityThe Scania OmniCity is an integrally-constructed transverse-engined low floor citybus available on the European market. The OmniCity is a complete product built in Poland by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden....
- VDL DB250VDL DB250The VDL DB250 is a double-decker bus sold in the UK through VDL Bus International's UK dealer Arriva Bus & Coach. A small number of DB250s have also been exported to Istanbul, Turkey.-DB250:...
- Volvo B7TLVolvo B7TLVolvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
/B9TLVolvo B9TLThe Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo Buses since 2002. It superseded the older Volvo B10TL and the Volvo B7TL.-Chassis:...
Competitors (bodywork):
- East Lancs/Darwen/Optare OlympusOptare OlympusThe Optare Olympus is a double-decker bus built by Optare...
- Wright Eclipse GeminiWright Eclipse GeminiThe Wright Eclipse Gemini is a type of double-decker bus body built for Volvo B7TL and later Volvo B9TL and Volvo B5L Hybrid for use in the United Kingdom....