Arriva places major bus order for Swedish contract

European transport group Arriva has placed a significant order for new and refurbished vehicles as part of a major drive for integrated passenger transport in the Swedish capital of Stockholm.

The investment is part of Arriva’s recently won 12-year E20 contract: the largest integrated multi-modal passenger transport contract awarded in Sweden.

Arriva will introduce 77 new low-floor single deck buses into service in January 2013. The order consists of 56, three-axle 14.5 metre VDL Citea XLE buses and 21 smaller Citea XLE vehicles at 13.7 metres.

A further 85 articulated vehicles, which are being transferred from Arriva Netherlands, are set to be refurbished. They will be introduced to Stockholm in two batches during August 2012 and January 2013.

The E20 contract will see Arriva double its operations in Sweden, providing an additional 100 million passenger journeys a year through combining train, bus and light rail services into integrated multi-modal public transport networks.

Arriva selected Dutch manufacturer VDL to supply the new vehicles and undertake the refurbishment programme. Arriva bus drivers contributed ideas and suggestions on the layout and design of the cabs.

Erik Bech-Jansen, managing director, Arriva Sverige, said: “This is an exciting and ambitious part of the project and we look forward to introducing the first new and refurbished vehicles into service for the people of Stockholm.

“We want to encourage more people to use public transport and, as this project is centred on integrated transport, we’re focusing on how we improve each element of our customers’ journeys.

“For the bus element we’ve chosen a comfortable, high quality range of vehicles, coupled with a major refurbishment programme for additional vehicles. People will see a step change in the quality of the city’s public transport provision.”