On Monday 11 July at 3pm Abellio London bus will officially open its brand new depot for West London in Hayes. The new depot at Dawley Road in Hayes replaces Abellio’s North Hyde Gardens site.
This is Abellio’s first fully owned bus depot in London, it is a purpose built operating centre that houses up to 56 buses. Routes 278, 350, 482, U5, U7 and U9 will operate from here, serving customers across West London. Built with construction partner Boshers Master Builders, the depot sits on a completely new site and was constructed during lockdown, with planning permission granted in March 2021 and ground being broken in August 2021.
The Hayes depot has been designed as a dedicated operating centre, the building features a living roof and nesting boxes alongside an energy efficiency rating of B. It also features a wall of historic significance that dates back to the Tudor period, which has been rebuilt using handmade Tudor bricks and a unique brick bond. Maintenance, driver training and driver theory testing will take place at an additional new facility in Waterway Park 0.5 miles away.
Hayes goes into operation with full EV capacity and highlights Abellio London Bus’ continued investment into world-leading electric technology and infrastructure. In the last year Abellio has introduced 41 electric buses across their London fleet, adding to the 34 already in service. By the end of 2022 the business will have 125 fully electric buses in service.
The Hayes depot will be the home of new state-of-the-art EV buses operating on route U5. These buses, manufactured by Alexander Dennis, have a range of innovative and modern features – including a more open feel, USB chargers and mobile phone holders in the seats, a contrasting colour scheme for priority seats, larger wheelchair and buggy area, and new digital information displays to improve accessibility.
The electrification of the depot was provided by Enel X, complete with the installation, maintenance, and servicing of six 300kW high powered Enel X Way charging stations for the EV buses. The charging infrastructure is both fast and smart, leveraging technology to maximise efficiency such as charging at off-peak times. Connection to the grid was supported by ESP Utilities Group, via an 11kV substation providing a 2,000kVA capacity for the bus depot.
The mobilisation of the depot and ongoing operational delivery is led by Lorna Murphy, Operations Director, Abellio London Bus and Marta Leszczynska, Operations Manager, Hayes Depot. These women leaders in transport have successfully led the route transfers to the new site from a temporary facility and the introduction of the new U5 EV fleet into operation at Hayes.
In the last year Abellio London Buses have clocked up over 2 million EV miles. The opening of the Hayes depot will support the business to continue providing customers with more comfortable journeys that actively contribute to making London’s streets cleaner and greener for all.
