Prior to delivery, the 8.9m long buses were adapted by the manufacturer’s AD24 workshop in Harlow to LeShuttle’s bespoke specification. As part of this work, seats were removed to create more room for standees and an additional door was added on the driver’s side to enable flexible boarding from and alighting to either side of the bus.
LeShuttle operates shuttle trains for heavy goods vehicles through the Channel Tunnel between terminals at Folkestone and Calais. Drivers are picked up from their lorries by the new fleet of Alexander Dennis Enviro200 midibuses to be taken to the Club Car at the front of the train. As trains can stop at either platform face, the additional offside doors ensure that lorry drivers do not have to cross the path of the bus when boarding or alighting.
The new Enviro200 are fitted with the latest generation of Euro VI engines which further reduce emissions with the manufacturer’s SmartPack efficiency technology combining engine stop/start, e-cooling and auxiliary load management. They replace Euro V buses, resulting in significant environmental benefits.
Rod Hunt, Security Logistics & Transport Manager at LeShuttle, said: “Our new Enviro200 buses have surpassed our expectations as we have successively introduced them to our fleet,. They are testament to Alexander Dennis’s great approach to meeting customer requirements, combining doors on both sides with low-floor access to ensure that they can pick up and drop off drivers safely as well as quickly.”
Billy Downey, Commercial Manager – Workshops for Alexander Dennis, added: “These new Enviro200 buses for LeShuttle have been fully prepared by our expert team in the AD24 workshop in Harlow, adding additional doors and adjusting the interior layout. Together with the sister facility in Anston, we have the largest vehicle repair and adaptation capacity in the country and are fully equipped to deliver complex work to highest standards.”
Mark Taylor, Regional Sales Manager at Alexander Dennis, said: “I’m pleased to conclude the delivery of these six new buses, fully adapted to LeShuttle’s specific requirements, after their conversion by our fantastic AD24 colleagues in Harlow. This further develops our relationship with LeShuttle, which began with an earlier generation of six similar Enviro200 built in 2015 and 2018. It’s great to know that our buses play such an important role in keeping freight moving across the Channel.”
