Arriva’s Thornton Heath site will initially house 22 electric buses before the arrival of a full fleet of 109
Arriva has electrified its third depot in the Capital, where its Thornton Heath site in south London will run 109 zero-emission vehicles from spring 2025 following the installation of a new electricity substation and charging facilities.
The depot is the third to benefit from Arriva’s £730m modernisation programme, which will see all 14 of its depots in the capital electrified by 2030, in line with Transport for London’s goal to fully decarbonise the city’s bus fleet by the same year. Arriva currently operates around 100 contracted routes on behalf of TfL, with a fleet of 1,500 buses.
Managing Director of Arriva UK Bus Jens Abromeit said: “I’m proud that our programme of depot electrification is gathering pace in London with this third depot now ready to serve a substantial fleet of zero-emission buses.
This represents a significant investment for Arriva and a commitment to working in partnership with TfL to deliver on its decarbonisation agenda. With each depot we electrify, we are reducing emissions and improving air quality, whilst also setting new standards in passenger comfort.”
A new electricity substation was installed at Thornton Heath, with five kilometres of underground cabling required to handle the increased demand from charging multiple buses simultaneously. The depot will initially be home to 22 electric buses, increasing to 109 once the project is completed in spring next year, following the removal of diesel refuelling tanks from the site.
Thornton Heath is the third of Arriva’s depots in London to be electrified after its Brixton Tramshed and Enfield sites were connected to the grid in 2021, with a fleet of 54 electric buses. Work to electrify its depots in Tottenham, Palmers Green, Croydon and Norwood is currently under way, with the remainder to follow.
