Electric Avenue

The electric bus revolution begins... in Durham and in Liverpool...

Arriva North West has lost its important C1-C5 Liverpool City Link services, following a Merseytravel retender. Arriva is reported as miffed to the point of a fruitless challenge. The services, which tour Liverpool city centre plus the Dingle, are from sometime this spring expected to see 11 all-electric Optare Solo SEVs. And the successful operator? Cumfybus.

Standing out from the usual Liverpool crowd, in yellow, are two conventional Cumfybus Solos on the City Link circulars

Cumfybus, a fast growing minnow from Southport that started with an accessible coach offering excursions, no longer relies solely on MPTE Merseylink dial-a-ride and poorly trafficked Urban Challenge-funded Job Link-type contracts. In the last five years, Cumfybus has expanded to a fleet of nearly 100-strong, scooping up not only MPTE contracts, but others in Blackpool and Preston, to the detriment of Stagecoach.

Interestingly, the rear of the C1-C5 timetables show a former Enoco hybrid Solo on one of the predecessor services, the Arriva S3

Cumfybus has now reached the point where it thinks it can handle technology such as the SEVs. Operated since 6 December 2009 by conventional yet highly visible yellow Solos, the project is a big step into the unknown and, to be honest, better suits operators such as Arriva. For example, there remains the issue of how and where such Solos will receive a mid-range fast recharge.

Arriva began the C1-C5’s predecessors in 2003. MPTE added the Glenvale 100/200s into the mix. At that time, the S-routes were new, connecting much of the redeveloped waterfront with the city centre (and just beyond). The intention was to operate Enoco converted hybrid Solos. These disastrous Solos quickly crumbled, spending most of their time in the garage. There followed an effort to resurrect them by re-engineering some with Wrightbus technology. All are now reported sold to Stagecoach for conversion to diesel operation. Hired Darts and then Arriva stock such as the shorter Neoplans or Marshall minibuses or MPDs found their way on the services at various times. At least diesel gave some operating certainty.

Never shy of trying new initiatives, the Enoco saga hasn’t put Merseytravel off. Now backed by Optare itself, the swift accelerating and silent Solos seem a better proposition than the troubled hybrids, though the range remains an issue. But industry watchers will look with scepticism at the erratic battery operated Tecnobuses especially the Gullivers of Birkenhead and reflect on past performance. Mind you, before these passed to Selwyn’s, some of that was said to be down to First.

Meanwhile, Jim Bell Coaches (“Give Jim a bell and go anywhere” as the radio advert to the tune of John Brown’s Body suggests) is to pip Merseytravel to the post as the first to introduce the SEV. Three examples will operate on a tourist route around the city centre, cathedral and world heritage sites and, unlike the Merseytravel examples, the route is well within the vehicle’s expected range. They will find themselves using the pedestrianised streets of Durham. This could be interesting, as the vehicles are near silent.

All buses are to come from the government’s green vehicle fund. This has provision for 55 all-electric battery vehicles. Expect Optare to do very well out of this, as the only manufacturer of a decent capacity battery minis. At about double the price of a conventional Solo, such an order could realise £11mil.

Additional information by and photos from Omnibuses’ Northern Correspondent