New bus depot in West London to create 200 new jobs
Abellio London has opened its newest addition to the London bus network with a purpose-built bus depot in Southall, West London.
The depot, which can accommodate 135 buses, began operation on Saturday 13 July. There are 6 engineering workshops bays, including vehicle lifts and maintenance pits, driver accommodation and a driver rest area.
The depot was built to the latest environmental standards with 8 electric car charging ports and the has the necessary infrastructure in place for electric buses. All vehicle maintenance will be undertaken at the Southall site, as well as driver training.
The project was delivered ahead of the original programme and within budget. Chancerygate managed the building of the depot on behalf of the Universities Superannuation Scheme.
The new depot has been built to the latest environmental standards and has 8 electric car charging points, alongside a level of provision to permit the first upgrade to electric buses. All vehicle maintenance for the buses will be undertaken at the new site.
The depot also houses the reversing area where new recruits on the Abellio bus driver apprenticeship programme will be able to undertake practical driving assessments and tests. The scheme is delivered in partnership with Interserve Learning & Education (ILE) with the aim of improving the quality of driving staff for London.
New safety features have been built into the depot with all vehicles being fitted with the Mobileye driver alert system. This new feature reinforces Abellio’s commitment to driver and passenger safety by alerting the driver to potential risks via an audible alarm.
Tony Wilson, Managing Director of Abellio London said:
“The opening of the new bus depot is the culmination of many years work to develop a brand new, purpose-built facility for West London. The facilities in Southall are a significant investment into the local community, bringing hundreds of new jobs and improving services for thousands of customers across West London.”
Claire Mann, Director of Bus Operations at Transport for London said:
“Bus garages play a vital part in moving over six million passengers a day around London. They are also important to communities by creating jobs and keeping buses on the road so people can get around their local area. This is a fantastic facility for Southall, with a garage designed to support the electrification of the bus fleet and new safety technology that will be intrinsic to our Vision Zero programme.”
For further information, please visit Abellio London Bus