As from 16 June 2019 13 VDL e-buses will operate on the new HelsingborgsExpressen in southern Sweden. The VDL Citeas SLFA-181 Electric are the first electric buses for the city of Helsingborg. VDL Bus & Coach will deliver these electric articulated Citeas to Arriva Sweden, which is the public transport operator of this new BRT line. The successful implementation of this large, complex project has been realised through close cooperation between concession grantor and regional public transport authority Skånetrafiken, Arriva and VDL Bus & Coach. As turnkey supplier VDL Bus & Coach is also responsible for delivery and implementation of the charging infrastructure.
This new express line will provide passengers with a more attractive public transport option as they will be able to travel more quickly and comfortably. The zero emission buses will contribute to a cleaner environment and produce less noise than conventional diesel buses. Fredrik Dahlborg, Managing Director VDL Bus & Coach Sweden, says: “VDL Bus & Coach is very proud and grateful to have been selected to partner with Arriva and Skånetrafiken for the new HelsingborgsExpressen. This project to establish a BRT line is an exciting initiative. We are confident that the VDL e-mobility solutions for Arriva Helsingborg will be appreciated by the passengers and contribute to attracting more people to use public transport. As European market leader in the field of e-mobility, we are pleased to be adding Helsingborg to the long list of cities where we have provided our turnkey solutions, known for their high reliability and low operating costs.”
Fourth e-mobility project for VDL in Sweden
With this order, VDL Bus & Coach has reached the milestone of its fourth e-mobility project in Sweden. The first VDL Citea Electric was delivered to operator Byberg & Nordin for the city of Härnösand in February 2015. Since December 2018 4 electric articulated Citeas have been operating in Karlstad. And an e-mobility project featuring 25 Citeas SLFA-181 Electric will start operating in Umeå later this month. In order to have the full focus on this e-mobility expansion VDL Bus & Coach has invested in expanding their Swedish national sales and service organisation, which has been a 100% subsidiary to VDL Bus & Coach bv since 1 January 2018.
Having already completed over 50 e-mobility projects in Western Europe, VDL Bus & Coach is a proven transition partner for efficient zero-emission public transport systems. Beyond Sweden, electric VDL e-buses are currently operating in various cities in The Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France and Norway. In many cases VDL is also responsible for implementation of the infrastructure, project management and the repair and maintenance of the entire system.
Turnkey supplier
As turnkey supplier VDL Bus & Coach has tested the complete system in Helsingborg, including vehicles, chargers and implementation schedule, before the start of the operation. During this test phase the system performance has been optimized to ensure the e-mobility operation will run smoothly from the start, as well as during extreme cold weather and rush hours.
The 13 VDL Citeas SLFA-181 Electric in BRT design are equipped with a high-power 169 kWh battery system. The roof mounted pantograph allows the vehicles to be charged faster, ensuring optimum operational availability. The vehicles will be fast charged during the day at the end stops of the line and will be fully charged at the depot each night. The e-buses for Arriva Sweden are equipped with a very attractive, modern interior design, as well as a coffee bar-like area for standing passengers which is a result from the constructive input from Skånetrafiken.
Arriva Sweden
Arriva is one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing over 53,000 people and delivering 2 billion passenger journeys a year across 14 European countries. The company services include local buses (scheduled and demand-responsive); inter-urban commuter coaches; local, regional and national train services; trams and light rail; waterbuses, and non-emergency patient transport. Arriva is part of Deutsche Bahn (DB), one of the world’s leading passenger and logistics companies, and are responsible for DB’s regional passenger transport services outside Germany. Arriva operates in the Czech Republic; Croatia; Denmark; Hungary; Italy; the Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia, Spain; Sweden; and the UK.
Skånetrafiken
Skånetrafiken, local government body responsible for public transport, offers public transport for those who live, work and travel in Skåne, southern Sweden. Every day over 300,000 people travel with one or more of Skånetrafikens 14,000 daily departures by bus and train, and 5,000 accessible transport trips – to work, family and friends.
The turnover is approximately 5.8 billion SEK and each year our customers make more than 167 million journeys with local and regional buses, trains (Pågatågen, Öresundståg, Krösatågen) and accessibility service vehicles.
SOURCE: VDL Bus & Coach
