Ballymena bus is ‘capital’ says Boris

The ‘New Bus for London’ is the first bus designed specifically for the streets of the Capital in more than 50 years and has been built by specialist engineers at the Wrightbus factory in Galgorm.

Eight of the new hop-on, hop-off vehicles will join the capital’s fleet next year and will run on ‘a busy central London route’.

The new bus incorporates the most innovative and cutting edge hybrid technology and will be the most environmentally friendly bus of its kind when it enters passenger service.

Friday afternoon saw a fully functioning prototype being driven off the production line by Mayor Johnson and next month it will make its way across the Irish Sea to the capital where it will be put through its paces on the streets in preparation for entering passenger service in 2012.

During the first half of 2012 it will be joined by seven more prototypes to be tested in passenger service, which will lead to the establishment of a full production line.

A team of 25 engineers and a 40 strong production team at the Wrightbus factory in Ballymena have worked on the first prototypes and despite a difficult economic climate the London Mayor said he is confident investment will be made in hundreds more buses that will support many more jobs.

He said: “This fantastic machine is chock full with the latest technology and London buses will be world leaders once again when the first eight buses take to our roads early next year. They are just an advance party for what I envisage will eventually be a legion of their type.

“This is a world-class piece of technology built here in Ballymena.

“It’s the most amazing futuristic design, but it’s also the cleanest, greenest bus that will ply the streets of London, indeed any city in the UK.”

“It showcases the very best of British manufacturing and design and simply oozes with quality”.

Wrightbus was awarded the contract for engineering design and to build the ‘New Bus for London’ in January 2010. London-based designers Heatherwick Studio provided the aesthetic design and the result is a vehicle that not only has an iconic look but every aspect of its design has at its heart the complex needs of London’s bus passengers.

Critical design features include three entrances and a double staircase to deliver the speediest possible boarding for passengers; and an open platform at the rear, in common with the iconic Routemaster.

Mayor Johnston also confirmed that an engineering test bus, which has been undergoing rigorous testing at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire since May, has exceeded expectation in terms of fuel economy and environmental emissions performance.

He pointed out that, while testing continues, it is estimated that if all buses in London performed to the standard of the’New bus for London’ then air quality could be improved to the extent of a 57 per cent reduction in the amount of NOx emissions from buses. - The potential of the environmental technology on the new bus is such that if rolled out across the entire fleet of London buses it could potentially reduce CO2 emissions in the capital by 230,000 tonnes a year.

Mark Nodder, Wright Group Managing Director, said: “We are all looking forward to the New Bus for London entering service in the nation’s Capital, representing as it does the culmination of almost two years’ work in design and development. Wrightbus is immensely proud to be at the centre of this unique and innovative project.”

The manufacture of the bus has stimulated industries across the UK and when it goes into full production it will create jobs for people across the country, with key components such as the engine, chassis, internal and external structures, seating, some of the glass and flooring being produced here in the UK.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson MP, said: “London buses are iconic the world over and one in every four of them is built in Northern Ireland.

“Wrightbus have shown that Northern Ireland can deliver products which surpass the highest environmental, design and performance standards”.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “This bus could go world-wide. The design is five or 10 years ahead of any other and that gives Wrightbus an edge”.

Congratulating Wrightbus, Ian Paisley Jnr MP said it was good news for manufacturing here and stressed that he would like to see the buses running on the streets of Northern Ireland.

UUP MLA Robin Swann praised “the genius of Wright Bus”, adding: “The Wright family in particular are to be commended on developing their company over the years to becoming a firm of international standing. Since the firm was established in the mid 1940s, it has continued to bring important employment to Ballymena”.