Alexander Dennis is to build an additional 198 new double-decker buses for operation in Berlin, Germany
Berlin operator BVG (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe) has exercised options for 198 Enviro500 double-deck buses, to be delivered to the city by the end of 2022, and which Alexander Dennis (ADL) has said will be built in its factories in the United Kingdom.
ADL delivered the first two Enviro500 double-deckers to the German capital in October last year as part of a multi-year framework contract signed in 2018. Following the successful completion of a testing programme with these initial vehicles, BVG’s board has approved orders for 198 more, taking the fleet to 200, with options for a further 230. Production of all 198 buses will take place in the manufacturer’s facilities in the United Kingdom, with the Scarborough site in Yorkshire to lead final assembly. Once delivered, they will be supported in Germany by a team operating out of ADL’s recently opened Berlin office, service workshop and parts warehouse. ADL said it will increase its investment in Berlin to underpin the fleet roll-out and support its European expansion, and recruitment is underway for additional team members.
The buses are 13.8m long and 4.06m high, with three doors and two staircases to facilitate rapid boarding and alighting, and a total capacity of 112.
Paul Davies, ADL President & Managing Director, said: “This fantastic news is testment to the incredible efforts of the hugely talented team that we have here at ADL, who have yet again demonstrated that they can innovate and execute on highly complex product development projects. The successful results of BVG’s testing programme and the award of this milestone contract are yet another ringing endorsement of our global double deck expertise and customer focus. We are delighted to confirm that we will build these buses in Britain to help underpin our skilled jobs and apprenticeships.”
