New owner for Abellio London, set to become Transport UK London Bus on 02 March 2024

Abellio London becomes Transport UK London Bus on 02 March 2024. In February 2023, the Transport UK Group Ltd completed a management buyout from rail company Nederlandse Spoorwegen, which paved the way for the UK-based company to take over Abellio UK’s existing services, including the London Bus business.

The official change to Transport UK London Bus aligns the business with the TUK group, the company states in a press note.

Abellio London now belongs to Transport UK Group

Transport UK London bus operates 59 routes on behalf of Transport for London, around 11% of London buses, across six London depots. The business is leading the way in the electrification of buses and infrastructure; 78% of the fleet is now EV or hybrid. All depots are enabled for EV routes.

The business was recently recognised for its innovative and industry-leading EV fleet at the Electric Vehicle Innovation and Excellence Awards, where it won Fleet Electrification Strategy of the Year 2023.

Abellio welcomed a full electric bus fleet on Route 111 in West London in July 2023. The first 34 CaetanoBus e-buses were launched in operation in 2019. Latest add was done in late 2023.

The company adds: “As the Transport UK London Bus brand is introduced, it will be business as usual for the operator. Buses are currently rolling out with the new Transport UK branding, and there is a change programme to extend the new branding across the business. Plans are in place to update depot signage, letterheads, the existing website and social media channels. The company is consulting employees on uniform updates, which will roll out in 2025”.

Jon Eardley, Managing Director of Transport UK London Bus, said: “We are truly excited to enter 2024 under our new name and proud to be part of the British-owned and managed Transport UK Group. As we roll out the brand over the coming months, it is business as usual as we continue to expand our state-of-the-art fleet and grow the number of routes we operate.”

Dominic Booth, Chief Executive Officer of Transport UK, said: “It’s fantastic to see the newly branded Transport UK buses hitting London’s streets as we continue to invest in clean air for the communities we serve across the capital. We are committed to offering a better journey experience for all our passengers as we press ahead with electrifying our fleet as well.”