Abellio Bus

In 2021, two new contracts with Transport for London came into effect, introducing the first electric double-decker vehicles. The company also received confirmation of future contracts on the basis of which there will be electric buses in five of the six depots by mid-2022. More than 10% of the fleet will then emit no CO₂. Abellio London Bus this year celebrated travelling one million miles with electric buses. Two free electric buses also ran in Glasgow during the COP26 summit to raise awareness of the benefits of zero emissions. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, TfL’s revenues have dropped significantly. This results in a financial challenge for TfL, which may put pressure on the future scope of services (number of vehicles and frequency) and profitability of Abellio London Bus.

In 2021, Abellio Bus brought two new sites in west London into use to replace an existing depot. In 2022, a brand new purpose-built operations centre will open in Dawley Road, Hayes, supported by a new engineering facility in Waterway Park. This will expand the facilities for the operation of bus transport in west London.

Abellio Rail Replacement (ARR) provides alternative transport services – with coaches, buses and taxis – to Greater Anglia, ScotRail, East Midlands, West Midlands, Transport for Wales and Caledonian Sleeper during disruptions. With the introduction of NRCs, inter-company replacement transport services had to be re-tendered. The outcome of the tendering process is not yet known, so it is uncertain whether ARR will retain these contracts. Event Connect provides transport at major sporting events and for tour operators and corporate clients. Both activities were continued during the lockdowns, but on a smaller scale and with less revenue due to lower demand.