François Bausch, Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, at the presentation of the electric buses;
Credit: MDDI
Voyages Ecker yesterday presented both its new depot in Bissen and its Irizar electric buses.
Under the slogan "The electrification of public transport continues with line 290!", Voyages Ecker, a branch of the Emile Weber Travel Group, has launched its new operating site, as well as six new 100% electric buses. This project marks a new stage in the "EmpoweringMobility" programme of the Emile Weber Travel Group, which aims to electrify mobility.
The presentation took place in the Klengbusbierg Business Park in Bissen, in the presence of François Bausch, Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure. A total of 10 vehicles of the Irizar bus type have been ordered: the first six units of 12 metres in length will come into service on 2 July 2018, while four additional 18-metre buses will complete the order by the end of the year.
These vehicles are intended to serve the RGTR line 290 which connects the station of Mersch with the capital (terminus: Badanstalt) while passing by the Alzette valley. The choice of this line which has a length of 17 kilometres was made due to the fact that it makes many stops (22 in each direction) and that it crosses a rather dense traffic, which makes it possible to carry out recovery during slowdowns or when approaching a bus stop.
The buses, which have been operating in a dozen European cities since 2014, have a range of over 200 kilometres and guarantee 16 hours of driving in a row, which makes it possible to travel a whole day. Charging will take place in the new depot in Bissen which is supplied with six chargers with a Combo - CCS2 charging socket, also prby Irizar. The range is increased while driving thanks to the Eco Assist system that accompanies the driver in real time to reduce energy consumption. Finally, customers will enjoy USB ports installed on board for charging their mobile phone.
For its part, Irizar decided to install an exclusive and quality after-sales service not far from the Bissen site. The service offers customised maintenance packages and is managed by technical experts and locally recruited individuals to help create wealth and employment.
