28th Apr 2008 07:00
Stagecoach Group PLC28 April 2008 28 April 2008 STAGECOACH INVESTS EARLY IN GREENER BUS TECHNOLOGY FOR UK • Drive to meet new Euro 5 emissions standards a year ahead of schedule • Selective catalytic reduction system improves environmental performance • Operator re-invests profits to improve quality of service to passengers • First details confirmed of record £71m Stagecoach bus order for 2008-09 Stagecoach Group plc today (28 April 2008) announced that it is to invest ingreener bus technology to meet new European emissions standards more than a yearahead of schedule. The Group confirmed the first part of a £71m investment in a fleet of 584 newvehicles for the UK during 2008-09, the biggest ever order placed by thecompany. Stagecoach has initially ordered nearly 500 vehicles with a total value of morethan £60 million from manufacturers Alexander Dennis (ADL), Optare, MAN,Plaxton, Scania and Volvo. The remainder of the £71 million orders will beconfirmed later this year. The initial order includes an investment of over £30 million in more than 220new buses and coaches that meet new tough Euro 5 emissions standards, which arenot due to come into force until 1 September 2009. These vehicles will use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to reducenitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas. The engine is optimised for low emissions ofdiesel particulates and low fuel consumption and, by adding a reducing agent,the nitrogen oxides produced during combustion are converted into harmlessnitrogen and water vapour within a catalytic converter. Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: "We believe thereis huge potential to encourage more people to reduce car use, get back on boardthe bus and help address the challenge of climate change. "By re-investing our profits in greener bus technology, we will make our ownoperations more sustainable and help reduce the carbon footprint of ourcustomers." Estimated passenger volumes at Stagecoach's bus operations have grownyear-on-year by around 3%. The growth has been driven by continued fleetinvestment, industry-leading marketing campaigns, partnerships with localauthorities, excellent value fares and additional travel under concessionaryfares schemes. The fleet of new vehicles will be delivered between May 2008 and the end ofApril 2009. Details of the initial orders are: Body/chassis supplier Vehicle type Emission standard QuantityADL Enviro 400 Double deck Euro 5 150ADL E400 chassis (Cummins)ADL Enviro 400 Double deck Euro 4 56Scania 230UD chassisADL Enviro 300 Single deck Euro 5 38ADL Enviro 300 chassis(12m)ADL Enviro 300 Single Deck Euro 4 120MAN 18.240 chassis (12m)ADL Enviro 200 Midi-bus Euro 5 25ADL Enviro 200 chassisADL Enviro 200 Midi-bus Euro 4 32MAN 14.240 chassisOptare Versa Midi-bus Euro 4 9Optare Solo 9.5m Mini-bus Euro 4 4Optare Solo 8.5m Mini-bus Euro 4 50Plaxton Panther Inter-urban Euro 5 7Volvo B12B coach (12.3m)Plaxton Panther Inter-urban Euro 5 4Volvo B12B coach (15m)TOTAL 495 All of the new vehicles will run on a blend of 5% biodiesel and 95% mineraldiesel, which Stagecoach uses in conjunction with the fuel additive EnviroxTM toachieve fuel efficiency savings and emissions reductions of around 5%. The buses also incorporate low floor access for parents with young children,people with disabilities and elderly passengers, and many feature a special'kneeling' mechanism to help boarding from the pavement. All coaches are fittedwith special lifts to assist boarding for wheelchair users. Stagecoach operates around 7,000 buses from the Highlands of Scotland tosouth-west England, covering around 100 towns and cities in the UK. Carryingaround 2 million passengers every day, Stagecoach has major city bus operationsin Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield and Cambridge. The company was named UK Bus Operator of the year in 2005 and 2006 and won moreawards than any other operator at the 2007 UK Bus Awards. For further information, please contact:Steven Stewart, Director of Corporate CommunicationsStagecoach GroupTel: 01738 442111 or mobile 07764 774680 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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