Mayor opens £7m bus depot in Battersea | |
| 17 May 2010 | |
| Today the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, opened Abellio’s new £7m bus depot in the heart of Battersea.  Standing on the site of the old Victorian depot, which was originally used for train stabling, the new facility incorporates important design features to reduce the environmental impact of its bus operations. Buses operating from Battersea, already among the greenest in London, will benefit from state of the art environmental design, which will allow the depot to harvest up to 41,000 litres of rainwater to reduce the need for mains water for cleaning. Holding almost 200 buses, the location of the depot close to zone 1 will allow for more efficient operation of the network by cutting down on out of service mileage and further reducing the environmental impact of services. A Workplace Travel Plan will reduce the dependency of car usage by staff and promote the use of alternative sustainable modes of transport to employees and visitors, including walking, and cycling. Commenting on the opening the Mayor of London said: “Abellio have built a superb facility in Battersea that mirrors the cleanest and greenest credentials we wish to be the hallmark of the capital’s bus fleet. Abellio’s investment in this important new facility is the latest evidence that the London Bus Network continues to thrive and grow to meet the needs of passengers. Their £7m investment demonstrates confidence and a long term commitment to working closely with TfL to meet the challenge of that growth in a sustainable manner.” David Brown, TfL’s MD for Surface Transport added, “This investment is an important step in supporting TfL’s aspirations to provide a world class, reliable public transport service with the capacity to meet the growing demand for travel in London. Abellio is a welcome arrival in the London bus market and we look forward to working with them closely in the coming years. ” Chief Executive of Abellio Group, Anton Valk, said, “This is a great day for Abellio, and we are very proud that the Mayor has made time to come here today to open our new facility. We entered the London bus market less than a year ago and this depot cements Abellio’s relationship with London. It will also make a vital and sustainable contribution to the ongoing regeneration of Battersea.” Paul McGowan, MD of the bus company Abellio London added, “This investment has been delivered over a number of years in close cooperation with stakeholders. I would like to thank all those involved for working so closely with Abellio to deliver the depot on time and to budget, in particular Lambert Smith Hampton for project management and Spencer for design and delivery. I would also like to pay tribute to our staff who have laboured for a long time under very difficult and cramped conditions. They deserve this more than anyone.” | |
