Enviro 400 MMC, The Story So Far...

Alexander Dennis launched the new model Enviro 400, codenamed MMC for Major Model Change in May 2014, the bus comes in four different specifications:

• 10.3m Single Door, with 45 seats upstairs and 29 seats downstairs
• 10.3m Two Door, with 45 seats upstairs and 25 seats downstairs
• 10.9m Single Door, with 49 seats upstairs and 33 seats downstairs
• 11.5m Single Door, with 49 seats upstairs and 37 seats downstairs

Now so far only three companies have currently placed orders for the London Specification (10.3m two door) vehicle. Abellio where the first company to place an order, for forty five buses going to three garages; Beddington Cross, Walworth and Hayes. Details as follows:

Spec: AD E400H – AD Enviro 400 MMC, 10.3m H41/25D, ULW- 11665kg.

• Beddington Cross (BC) – 2487-2498 (Delivered Dec 2014), 2499-2513 (Delivered January 2015).
• Walworth (WL) – 2400, 2514 (Delivered January 2015), 2515-2522 (Delivered March 2015)
• Hayes (HS) - 2523-2531 (Expected March/April 2015).

Note: 2400 was used at BC for training purposes only and was used in service at WL, however it is unclear if the vehicle is going to be kept by Abellio.

This was shortly follow by Metroline who announced they had placed a small order for sixteen going to Cricklewood Garage, the first vehicles arrived towards the end of February 2015 and where expected into service around April 2015.

TEH2074 (LK15CRZ) is seen at Metroline's CELF Facility on 20th February 2015, a few days after delivery. Taken by Kristian Lake.

Spec: AD E400H – AD Enviro 400 MMC, 10.3m H41/25D, ULW- 11665kg.

Allocated to Cricklewood (W) – TEH2072-TEH2087 (Delivered to CELF Feb/March 2015)
Note: CELF is Metroline’s Central Engineering & Logistics Facility.

Finally, Stagecoach have confirmed they are expecting seven diesel buese to be delivered to their Romford Garage in June 2015 for the Route 499 which they will be taking over. It’s also worth noting that the stagecoach examples will be the first full diesel MMC’s to be introduced into the London as both the Abellio and Metroline examples have been Hybrid versions. Stagecoach will also more than likely to be the first to introduce the Enviro 200 MMC, which will also be going to Romford in June 2015.

We were first introduced to a MMC in London when a demonstrator was shown off at Abellio’s Walworth Garage open day on 19th July 2014. This bus has since returned to the company, first at their Beddington Cross Garage (BC) towards the end of that year to train drivers up on the new design before the main batch arrived there for the Route 109 in mid-december.

2506 (YY64TZF) is seen outside Beddington Cross Garage on 28th January 2015, while classmate 2511 is seen inside the shed. Taken by Kristian Lake.

It has since moved onto Walworth (WL) where it was fitted with set of blinds, ticket machine and I-bus and given the un-official fleet number of 2400, which is in itself incorrect as this is a hybrid number on a diesel bus. But it was first recorded in service on 24th February 2015 on the Route 172 covering additional morning only workings between Old Kent Road Tesco and Elephant & Castle which are in place of the impending extension of the Route 415 which was also moving over to Abellio operation from 7th March.

2400 (YY64GXG) is seen on stand at City Hall while working as an additional on the Route 381 on the morning of 4th March 2015. Taken by Kristian Lake.

However it was photographed a week earlier on the Route 381 covering additional peak time workings between London Bridge and Waterloo. It has since worked on other routes out of Walworth including the Route 40 (Aldgate to Dulwich Library) on the afternoon of 24th February and the Route 35 (Shoreditch to Clapham Junction) on the evening of 5th March also the Route 415 (Tulse Hill to Old Kent Road) on 8th March.

2502 (YY64TZB) is seen at Crystal Palace Station while working the Route 157 on its first day on 27th January 2015. Taken by Kristian Lake.  

The first buses from the Beddington batch started to appear a few days before the take-over of the 109, with the first (2502) appearing on the Route 157 (Crystal Palace to Morden) on 27th January and 2501 made an appearance on the Route 407 (Caterham to Sutton) on the following day.

2501 (YY64TZA) is seen on the London Road at South Croydon Bus Garage while working on the Route 407 to Caterham on 28th January 2015. Taken by Kristian Lake.

They have since made occasional appearances on the Route 157, and only four ever made it onto the Route 407. The final few didn’t arrive in time to make it out on the first day, so a couple of non-hybrid older buses where used on the Route 109 over the first few days however they had all entered service by the end of the first week.

2511 (YY64TZL) is seen on Streatham Hill at Brixton Bus Garage while working on the Route 109 on 31st January 2015, taken by Kristian Lake.

The intended last bus of the Beddington batch was supposed to be 2514 however this was actually reallocated to Walworth to form the first bus for use on the Route 415. This bus officially entered service on 26th February after doing a few journeys on the Route 343 (City Hall to New Cross Gate) and just like the demonstrator it has since made appearances on the routes 35, 40, 172 and 381. And it also featured on the first day of service on the 415.

2514 (YY64TZO) is seen at Elephant & Castle after working as an additional on the Route 172, taken on 4th March 2015 by Kristian Lake.

The start of March saw the first day of Abellio operation of the Route 415, over time this route should become fully MMC operated however on the first day only three made it into service these being 2514, 2515 and 2517. The latter two being brand new 15 plate buses which had only been delivered a few days previous. March should also see the start of the introduction of MMC’s at Hayes for the Route 350 which runs between Heathrow Terminal 5 and Hayes and Harlington, this should then allow the disposal of the remaining thirteen year old Tridents that still remain at Hayes.

2515 (YX15OWD) is seen on the Brixton Road while working on the Route 415 on its first day in service, taken on 7th March 2015 by Kristian Lake.

Now for a small section on the buses themselves, having ridden on a few different vehicles on different routes. I have to say that I am defiantly a fan, one of the first things to strike you when you board is how spacious they are inside, I think it’s larger windows and compared to a new bus for London which can feel like you are looking out of portholes with the amount of panelling there is especially on the upper deck. The seats are also very good a great improvement on something like a Scania Omnicity for example which have wooden benches in comparison. The next thing you will notice is when the bus pulls away, is the immense acceleration these buses have even in electric mode (on the hybrid vehicles), you will find that the will reach 30/40 mph very easily. They also feature a new bell which sounds twice whenever it is pressed, unfortunately there is still no widespread system used to prevent it being rung over and over again. Overall in my opinion these buses are a great improvement on the original Enviro 400 and are the best double decker around at the moment.

Upper Deck interior of Abellio 2517, taken on 7th March 2015 by Kristian Lake.

Finally a bit about the latest Metroline batch, after a large an continued order with Wrightbus for Gemini 3’s, I was slightly surprised to see this order of MMC’s but I suppose it will mean Cricklewood remains an Enviro garage for the time being. As the buses haven’t entered service yet, there isn’t much to say as they are no different to the Abellio examples so I will let the pictures do the talking.

TEH2087 (LK15CUH) is seen at Metroline's CELF Facility at Perivale, soon after delivery. Taken on 28th February 2015 by Kristian Lake.

TEH2077 (LK15CSU) is seen at Metroline's CELF Facility at Perivale, soon after delivery. Taken on 28th February 2015 by Kristian Lake.  

TEH2075 (LK15CSF) is seen at Metroline's CELF Facility at Perivale, soon after delivery. Taken on 28th February 2015 by Kristian Lake.