The first of 50 Alexander Dennis Enviro500 double-deckers with Daimler engines to be supplied to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore have entered service.
They are each 12.5m long and 4.3m high and have three doors and two staircases in accordance with LTA’s requirements for rapid boarding and alighting. Accommodating LTA’s specification saw a “rethinking” of the driveline by ADL engineers, the manufacturer says.
ADL adds that after the order for the 132-passenger Enviro500s was placed by LTA in April 2019, “a cross-functional team of Alexander Dennis engineers worked with the customer and suppliers to design and build a bus that fully reflects the operational requirements of Singapore’s busy services.”
To deliver fully flat aisles throughout the buses, the engine and other drivetrain components have been relocated. A single-width doorway is behind the rear bogie. Aluminium composite body technology “and a host of new safety and energy-saving features” have also been included, with the latter being at auxiliary component level.
Power is provided by the 7.7-litre Daimler OM 936 engine developing 354bhp driving through a Voith DIWA.6 gearbox. The OM 936 is used in the 198 Enviro500s currently being built by ADL for Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe in the German capital. Those buses also have three doors and two staircases.
The Enviro500s for Singapore have been allocated to operators SBS Transit, SMRT Buses and Tower Transit. They join 216 earlier Enviro500 double-deckers already in service in the city.
Says ADL President and Managing Director Paul Davies: “ADL prides itself on responding to customer requirements without compromise, and the new Enviro500 buses for the Singapore Land Transport Authority are testament to this spirit of innovation.
“Our engineers have delivered a fantastic job rethinking the driveline to enable this new solution, which speeds up journeys and increases passenger safety. We are delighted with LTA’s trust in our concept and look forward to supporting the full fleet throughout its service life in this vibrant, booming world city.”
