In a £4.4m investment, Blackpool Transport has put 20 of the most “technologically-advanced buses ever seen in Lancashire” into service early for a 19-week rail replacement contract, while the railway from Preston to Blackpool is shut for electrification.
The ADL Enviro-400 City buses, include media screens on both decks, grab handles on every seat back to replace poles upstairs, with stop buttons on every seat back.
They also have free wi-fi, USB ports, next stop av announcements, mobile phone holders on the back of every seat, upper deck tables and infotainment.
James Carney, Financial & Commercial Director at Blackpool Transport says: “We’ve brought forward our 2018 vehicle investment plan to provide state of the art buses for rail users throughout the Preston – Blackpool rail line closure.
“Work is being undertaken by Network Rail to electrify the Preston to Blackpool line and these buses will operate exclusively on rail replacement services until April 2018.
“We worked once again with the team at ADL to push the boundaries on bus technology. It’s really important to us to ensure that our customers get the best possible journey experience when they use our services. The added features now available on many of our buses all contribute to that better journey experience.”
Richard Matthews, Sales Director Retail Bus, of ADL says: “We are delighted to be able to supply Blackpool with another fleet of state-of-the-art, environmentally-friendly buses which we are sure their customers will love. Our partnership continues to go from strength to strength as we strive to improve the local transport landscape.”
Blackpool Transport will be operating some of the rail replacement journeys until March 2018. They will then enter normal service in and around Blackpool and the Fylde coast.
