London Bus Route 396 - the conversion to electric buses

I very rarely cover service changes in regards to route allocations and cuts in London on this blog (which happen quite rapidly and frequently), but during the summer of 2024, I managed to catch up with two routes in East London. This is the first one. Well... once again, we revisit London Bus Route 396 which has been retained by Go-Ahead London with new electric single deckers. 

Go Ahead London SE115 (YX61BXV) is seen on stand at King George Hospital on route 396 awaiting it's departure towards Ilford Broadway. These were the allocation for the route between 2019 and 2024 (fleet coded SE115-118).
Taken during: June 2021
Bus type seen in the photo: Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 (Diesel single decker bus)

The London Bus Route 396 is a very short route running between King George Hospital and Ilford Broadway, or Ilford Hill as they have now referred to. It goes via Newbury Park and Gants Hill, essentially paralleling alongside route 296 most of the way. 4 miles in length, the frequencies are every 20 minutes from Monday to Sunday, dropping to 30 minutes during the evening. The average journey on the route varies from 15-35 minutes. Depends on the time of day you do it but honestly, it's a really short route. The route has remained the same since it was introduced in 1996. I did do a post previously on this route, which goes into a bit more detail about the places it passes, which you are welcome to view below. 

The route operates at River Road (RR) garage in East London. Ever since Go Ahead gained the route in 2019 it was allocated Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 YX61-reg single deckers fleet coded SE115-118. Double deckers such as LX56/57-reg Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s commonly made an appearance although, these were largely allocated to the school routes operated out of the garage. As a result of routes in Central London receiving cuts in regards to their frequencies, the LX56/57-reg Enviro 400s were withdrawn from London service in 2022 and replaced by hybrid buses within the company. This means that double decker appearances have reduced massively since then. 

Go Ahead London E63 (LX57CHY) is seen at King George Hospital on route 396 heading to the stand after completing a journey from Ilford Broadway.
Taken during: July 2021
Bus type seen in the photo: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (Diesel double decker bus)

A lower deck interior photo of E63 (LX57CHY).

The contract renewal for the new electric single decker buses, to be introduced into service was Saturday 29th of March 2024. However, they were not going to arrive on time, unsurprisingly. By the 29th of June though, the four buses made their debut into passenger service fleet coded SEe332-335. 

Go Ahead London SEe332 (LF24ZCY) is seen at the end of it's journey at Ilford Hill on route 396 after competing a journey from King George Hospital. This was the first day that these buses had entered service (29th of June).
Taken during: June 2024
Bus type seen in the photo: BYD/Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 MMC EV (Electric single decker bus)
Photo taken by Fabio Tanniguchi.

Go Ahead were the first operator to introduce the BYD/ADL Enviro 200 MMC EV into London entering service in 2016. Since then there have been over 300 BYD/ADL Enviro 200 EVs (at the time of publishing this blog) in operation for Go Ahead, which shows how successful the single decker model has been. These buses are also part of the revised versions of the Enviro 200 EV that took place in 2020. Before then, previously on the outside, there was a small battery pod at the top of the bus. 

Go Ahead London SEe13 (LJ66CFM) is seen at end of a journey at Waterloo Station on route 521, after completing a journey from London Bridge. This route was withdrawn in April 2023, as a result of the Central London bus changes by TFL. TFL like to modify through a consultation, and change or introduce bus routes if they go ahead or not, depending on people's opinions. 
Taken during: February 2022
Bus type seen in the photo: BYD/Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 MMC EV (Electric single decker bus)
Photo taken by Fabio Tanniguchi.

London United RATP Group BE37020 (LJ18FKE) is seen at Ladbroke Grove, Sainsburys on route 70 heading towards Chiswick Business Park. 
Taken during: February 2023
Bus type seen in the photo: BYD/Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 MMC EV (Electric single decker bus)
Photo taken by Fabio Tanniguchi.

I can't really make a direct comparison between older ones and current ones, as this was my first time riding these buses ever in London. But I can say, the current design looks a lot smarter and neater. I reckon also their range has also improved as a result, so that they can operate on routes for longer. Hence the extended pod. But hey, what do I know. 

Interior view of a BYD/ADL Enviro 200 MMC EV

I was out on the 11th of July 2024 (it was a Thursday) so I took a ride on one of them (this would be SEe333/LF24ZCZ), it had been two weeks at this point. Of course they still retained that new bus smell, that all new buses carry for a short time and contained the higher TFL specification. The bus had high backed seats, wood effect flooring that is laminated (not actual wood flooring), USB chargers and a new iBus display. Also the middle rear seat at the back has been retained, although these have been the standard on new electric buses since the specification was introduced in late 2021. So they had 5 seats instead of 4 which is new standard at the back now. LED blinds are also part of the package, so beware if you are trying to photograph buses with them, it can be tricky. Weirdly enough on my journey, the iBus display was not showing and this a new standard that shows the next stop and destination. I imagine this will get rectified eventually but Go Ahead and TFL have to programme them so yeah, it's gonna happen. The ride quality was not too bad, these having decent acceleration considering we were on the A12 (dual-carriageway) however, where I was sitting the bus had already contained some rubbish which, well, is not a huge surprise considering how much they are going to be used on a daily basis!

Rubbish at the back of the bus on it's second week of service.

The journey took 15 minutes from Newbury Park to King George Hospital, due to taking this trip during the evening but to be honest like I said earlier, route 396 is a very short route. 

USB chargers are offered onboard every seat.

Go Ahead London SEe333 (LF24ZCZ) is seen on stand at King George Hospital on route 396 having worked a journey from Ilford Hill.
Taken during: July 2024
Bus type seen in the photo: BYD/Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 MMC EV (Electric single decker bus)

Here are the allocated buses for the route:

SEe332 - LF24ZCY

SEe333 - LF24ZCZ

SEe334 - LF24ZDA

SEe335 - LF24ZDC

Another route goes green for London. The route has been largely single decker since the disappearance of the LX56/57-reg Enviro 400s but, double deckers do occasionally make an appearance - not that much though, sadly. Go Ahead have managed to retain the route for the next 7 years, having gained it back in 2019. I wish the operator all the best in terms of it's operation and maintaining the route.

Thank you for reading and happy riding!

For the previous post of the London Bus Route 396 that I reviewed back in 2020, (if it's of any interest) click here.