Maxson Goh reports from London, where Metroline celebrated 25 years under ComfortDelGro with a milestone event at its Cricklewood Garage
Metroline marked 25 years of operation under ComfortDelGro with a celebration at Cricklewood Bus Garage on a warm and sunny 26 June which saw a (thankfully air-conditioned!) room in the main building completely transformed for the occasion. With a fleet of 1,400 buses in London plus 400 more in Greater Manchester, Metroline transports approximately one million passengers every weekday in the capital and another million each week in Greater Manchester, with 6,200 people employed across both locations. One of the key highlights of the anniversary was Metroline’s announcement of a major sustainability milestone: the full electrification of its Edgware Bus Garage. The site now exclusively operates zero-emission buses across all its routes – 113, N113, 240, 204, 142, 251, and 642. By the end of 2025, the operator aims to have over 500 zero-emission buses in London and 160 in Greater Manchester.
Working together is key
“I’d say that a critical part of what we’ve done is worked in collaboration with Transport for London,” said Metroline CEO Sean O’Shea. “Through them and with them we’ve developed capacity, and we’ve worked in partnership to bring in innovative projects and continue to operate high quality services. We’re proud to celebrate 25 years as part of ComfortDelGro, together, we’ve built a reputation for excellence, sustainability, and innovation, and we remain committed to serving our communities for the next 25 years.”
TfL Head of Network Performance Nick Owen added: “It really is incredible to think that ComfortDelgro and Metroline have now been an integral part of London’s transport network for 25 years, and I’m sure for many of you who joined in that year it feels like yesterday. Over our 25 years we’ve all been part of the biggest transformation in London’s transport network since it was first introduced more than 160 years ago.
“From a buses perspective we will continue our focus on delivery of our Bus Action Plan which sets out our vision for bus services over the coming years. Our vision is that nobody will be killed or seriously injured on London’s transport network by 2041 and on buses we have an even more challenging target of nobody being killed or seriously injured on or by a bus by 2030. Our world leading safety standard continues to develop making what is already the safest form of road-based transport even safer for our passengers.”
ComfortDelGro Chairman Mark Greaves commented: “We’re here together to honour a journey, a journey of growth, innovation, and above all, of people and a community. Metroline has always been more than just a bus operator. At our core, we’ve always proudly served London. We provide a lifeline for communities, connecting people, places and possibilities. Whether it’s commuting to work, getting children to school, visiting loved ones or simply travelling around, Metroline has been there every step of the way. We’re proud of what we built and even more excited about what’s to come.”
Garage tour
After a scrumptious lunch and a cake that reminded me of M&S’ strawberry cream sandwich, guests were invited on a guided tour of the facility, starting with the garage’s new BYD BD11 double-decker electric buses which at the time of writing have just entered revenue service on route 210. While most buses were out in service during the weekday event, attendees had the opportunity to view two Volvo B5LH hybrids, with one being on a maintenance lift, and a New Routemaster that was casually observing the pair from across the room. As the visit drew to a close, it was clear to attendees that Metroline is looking ahead to a more sustainable future with its commitments to cleaner zero-emission fleets, and the 25th anniversary milestone with ComfortDelgro stands as a testament to its enduring role in shaping public transport in London and beyond.
