Currently In Highgate

Three bus services in the Highgate area have been undergoing a conversion to 100% electric operation recently, with all of them being the result of the TfL bus tendering process. I usually work through multi-route posts chronologically, but it's much more appropriate to have the 214 in isolation. Here goes...

Finding sun spots in Central London can be a challenge with all the reflections from tall buildings. Pentonville Road isn't too bad.

Only a handful of services venturing into zone 1 are operated with single deck vehicles, because routes in the Central London area are often more densely used than in the suburbs. The 214 is no exception to the latter point, running 24/7 from Highgate Village to Finsbury Square in Moorgate, serving Parliament Hill Fields, Kentish Town, Camden Town, King's Cross and City Road en route. It offers a pretty efficient link from the affluent North London settlements, where there is no tube line, to stations, high streets and offices in the City. Residents of the predominantly upper-class housing seem to really appreciate the 214, presumably because walking or even driving up such a steep hill can feel very daunting. It's frustrating, therefore, that they are so against a double deck conversion, even throwing a hissy fit when Visions International sent a Routemaster up Highgate Hill during a one-off tour of North London. Adding an extra floor would make the service even more attractive, with comfort being included in the package. Nonetheless, it carries on with an impressive 7-8 minute frequency from Monday to Saturday, dropping only to 5 buses per hour on Sundays and during the evening. End-to-end trips can usually be completed in under 60 minutes, being only 6 miles in length. If you are able to find a quieter period (I'd recommend weekend mornings) it's a fantastic trip, with so many hidden gems particularly towards Highgate, including the bizarre back end of King's Cross and a staggeringly steep climb out of Parliament Hill Fields, with imposing mansions dominating either side. Metroline managed to operate the 214 for a commendable 21 years, with the route frequently switching between Holloway (HT) and King's Cross (KC) garages. I'll always remember the iconic Dart Pointers, equipped with a quirky voith gearbox, but for the last 12 months it operated solely with ADL Enviro 200s, with only an ex-First interloper adding some variety. In 2017 some double deck Wrightbus Gemini 3 B5LHs appeared as extras when the Northern line was closed, but these disappointingly only ran from Moorgate to Camden Town. Still, better than no upstairs mileage at all.

I ended up snapping the 214 on three separate occasions due to successive fails... it's a good job I'm not as unlucky for every service change!

 The tender result for route 214 was quite unusual, being announced some two years before the actual changeover date. It's understandable for operators to be a given a longer time period when faced with electric buses, as they're still a relatively new technology, but it did seem quite excessive when Go-Ahead just went for bog-standard BYD/ADL Enviro 200 MMCs in the end. They're currently running the service from Northumberland Park (NP) garage, which isn't particularly close to either Highgate or Moorgate, so there is a concern in regards to driver availability if the Victoria line goes down and a changeover at King's Cross is scheduled to occur. Presumably the distance was considered trivial in comparison to the convenience of readily available charging facilities, although the 153's batch of electrics shouldn't be used regularly on the 214 since they are too long for the tight stretch between Parliament Hill Fields and Highgate. It would pretty poor if the vehicles didn't arrive on time given the extended gap between the win and take-over, so thankfully on day one we were greeted with a full turnout of new buses. On the whole, Go-Ahead seem to have risen to the challenge and are already matching the half-decent standard set by Metroline. Bizarrely, on Sunday 1st September 2019, a double deck MCV EvoSeti B5LH completed a few full trips on the 214 between 1 and 5:30am, which only the driver managed to document. Enthusiasts (rightfully?) prioritised their sleep instead of catching this phenomenon - who knows if it'll happen again. Possibly, if Northumberland Park (NP) are short on drivers in the future and the residents haven't sent in their complaints yet. I wish Go-Ahead all the best with the next five years and I hope the commuters are satisfied with their new vehicles, generously equipped with USB charging ports too.

It's hard to think that the old B7TLs are no longer able to travel through Central London. Very rarely, you'll see a Gemini 1 on the 476 which skirts the edge.

If electric buses really are the future, TfL and Metroline have taken a proactive approach and decided to convert routes 43 (Friern Barnet-Highgate-Archway-Islington-London Bridge) and 134 (North Finchley-Highgate-Archway-Camden-Warren Street), coinciding with their contract retentions. Interestingly, they didn't order one huge batch for both services, instead investing in two different manufacturers for comparison purposes. It's quite funny that some of London's newest vehicles have landed themselves on the last Central London routes to convert to hybrid operation - this was essential due to the ultra low emission zone implemented in April. Before then, the 134 predominantly used ADL Enviro 400s, with VMH-class MCV EvoSeti B5LH vehicles only temporarily diverting to the route in February. Scraping buses together for the 43 was even more difficult, since Holloway (HT) garage were always infamous for using shockingly old vehicles on high-profile zone 1 services. Volvo/B7TL Plaxton Presidents could still be found well into 2019, along with older Enviro 400s and Gemini 2 B9TLs, so even more routes had their VMHs taken away from them. All this shuffling was only necessary because the new electrics didn't actually arrive for the contract dates in February, but this is understandable for buses boasting a relatively new technology. The messy arrangement continued for a couple of months, but at the very start of July some of the 43's new buses made their debut.

London Bridge is always a popular spot for snapping buses in the sun. Not so many spotters venture to the Northern end though.

The partnership between Alexander Dennis and BYD has proven successful so far, conquering the electric single deck market with their ADL Enviro 200 MMC EV. Nonetheless, double deckers are naturally much more challenging and the playing field still seems pretty even for now. The London-look City body has been chosen, clearly signposting where ADL intend to attract consumers. To me, the upstairs interior felt spacious and well-appointed, although there are certainly

a couple of quirks. Only forward facing seats can be found downstairs, with the legroom for some being less than desirable, whilst the air cooling flaps are located in less than ideal positions. They are, however, on both sides of the vehicle, which is an improvement on the diesel and hybrid versions where sitting on the right is essential. There is no rear window downstairs, but USB charging points can be found everywhere, which I'm sure long-distance commuters are grateful for. The acceleration is startling, almost sickening when used to its full potential, whilst there is almost no engine noise. You could argue that they are pretty soulless, but I often prefer listening to music on urban bus trips anyway. When driven carefully the travelling experience is overwhelmingly positive, with the light and airy interior being perfect for a route like the 43, which can be painfully slow but always boasts fascinating external surroundings. The conversion seemed quite rapid at first, but has since ground to a halt, with enough vehicles for a 100% electric Sunday service, but around 14 buses are still missing. Overall though, I'm impressed with the Cities and look forward to seeing more examples on the 94 next year.

An unfortunately placed van somewhat undermines this picture. At least the sun was behaving itself.

The 134's new buses also showed up on a Monday, so exactly 7 weeks after the 43's big day. They are electric Optare Metrodeckers, a type which has appeared before in the capital but only in the form of a demonstrator. Go-Ahead struggled with their example; it couldn't even manage a full rounder on route 21 without needing a charge, so the enthusiast community were rightfully sceptical about such an ambitious order. I also questioned why these buses, with inferior charging capabilities (they take 8 hours longer than the Citys) and a supposedly poorer range, were being placed on the

134 which requires a hefty dead run all the way to Potters Bar - the 43 does actually pass its home garage. Nonetheless, four manifested themselves on August 19th, with one vehicle even boasting an LED display as opposed to regular blinds. They impressively lasted until the evening and performed well, reaching commendable speeds when needed. The interior design is somewhat unusual, with a kidney shaped window downstairs and slightly shallow upper saloon There is also more background noise when travelling, with one sound in particular being similar to a chainsaw. It isn't unpleasant though and despite the useless air cooling system,  I felt satisfied with my journey on the Optare, even though they feel far less refined than the Citys. The promising start hasn't been maintained though and only 6 vehicles out of 31 are actually in regular service. They also tend to disappear by 5pm, which isn't particularly economical and implies the 134 will never fully convert to electric operation unless the range somehow drastically improves. I think we all know who Metroline are going to order from in the future...

A van managed to ruin my first attempt at snapping this, but a quick dash down the road resulted in a successful second attempt.

Inevitably, there's quite a bit of fall-out to deal with, especially since so many services had their new buses taken away from them. I'm still not completely sure on where all the VMH-class EvoSetis will actually end up, so please correct me in the comments if necessary! To my understanding, the vast majority will make Perivale West (PA) garage their new home, ultimately ousting the exotic but knackered SEL-class Scania Olympus vehicles which currently work at this base. They used to be shared between routes 90 (Northolt to Feltham) and 297 (Willesden Bus Garage-Ealing Broadway), but the former is now almost completely SEL-free, using some Wrightbus Geminis in addition to the recently transferred VMHs. For enthusiasts this is a shame, since the 90 is said to be far more enjoyable than the 297, but it does mean that my favourite bus type stays in the local area for longer. The next set of transferred VMHs will work the number 31 from White City to Camden Town, which will pass on its Gemini 2s to the 297. However, with the current speed of the 134 conversion, I think we'll be keeping the Olympi for a while. Another duty which has already been fulfilled is the completion of route 607's hybrid conversion - when it transferred to Greenford (G) garage in April only half of its VMHs were available, so it was forced to use some ex-207 Wrightbus Gemini 2s as a temporary measure. The EvoSetis have made themselves comfortable there, working routes like the 92, 95, 282 and 482 as well as their allocated express service from Uxbridge to White City.

In short, three North London routes have started their conversion to 100% electric operation. Whether all three will be successful is another matter... Thanks for reading and take care! Sorry for the humongous gap between posts, I've been going out a bit too much for term time!