Stagecoach has successfully transported its first group of passengers in a trial in east Scotland.
The project, named CAVForth, which is part funded by UK Governments Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, was the first registered service in the UK to use full sized autonomous buses.
A fleet of five Alexander Dennis Enviro200AV vehicles covered a 14-mile route, in mixed traffic, at up to 50mph across the Forth Road Bridge from Ferrytoll Park & Ride in Fife to the Edinburgh Park Transport Interchange.
Once registered, the service will operate a frequent timetable with the capacity for around 10,000 journeys per week.
As part of the testing process, Stagecoach invited a group of passengers from its co-design panel to travel on the route to get feedback ahead of a full public launch of the service in the spring.
The Co-Design Panel is a diverse group of local bus users who have volunteered to help Stagecoach and its project partners design how an autonomous bus service should work. Their insights have informed key aspects of the autonomous vehicle trial.
An examples of how they have supported the project include the introduction of a 'bus captain' in the saloon to reassure and help passengers with their queries, boarding and purchasing their tickets.
Fleur, who joined the panel through a forum for young people, said: "I've really enjoyed having the opportunity to share my opinions and bring my thoughts forward - and it's brilliant to see it come through and become this actual thing from a few drawings.
"It was quiet exciting, the thought of getting on for the first time, I wasn't worried at all about it - you wouldn't know the difference between this and a normal bus from the driving."
Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise Ivan McKee said: “This is another hugely significant step forward for the CAVForth project that brings us closer to these autonomous vehicles entering service.
“It has been really encouraging to watch the project develop through the various steps, from early testing and demonstrations through to carrying of passengers along the route for the first time.
“Our trunk road network can provide a wide range of environments as a diverse testing ground, and the ground-breaking and globally significant Project CAVForth will really help Scotland establish its credentials on the world stage.”
Louise Simpson, operations director and CAVForth lead project manager for Stagecoach, said: “Until today, only project team members had been able to trial the autonomous service so it’s great that our co-design panel have had this opportunity and we welcome any views they have to ensure we deliver a great, inclusive, and accessible service to our customers when we launch in the spring.”
Jamie Wilson, head of concepts and advanced engineering for Alexander Dennis, added: “We are delighted that the UK’s most complex autonomous bus project has now carried its first passengers in another important step for the CAVForth project.
“The feedback from the Co-Design Panel is a great validation of the work we are doing as we continue the final stages of testing ahead of the launch of scheduled passenger services later this spring.”
CAVForth is part funded by the UK Government and is a partnership between Stagecoach, Fusion Processing, Alexander Dennis, Transport Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University, Bristol Robotics Lab and the University of the West of England.
Separately, the UK’s first electric-only rail freight operator has started moving parcels between Scotland and the Midlands.
Varamis Rail is using fully electric former passenger trains converted to carry freight in response to the growing demand for next day deliveries of goods bought online.
The majority of freight trains on Britain’s railways are powered by diesel, with an average speed of around 24mph.
Varamis Rail said its trains can reach 100mph, with journeys between Mossend freight terminal near Glasgow and Birmingham International scheduled to take just under five hours.
Trial operations took place in October, with regular overnight services starting last week.
Network Rail worked with the operator to ensure it has access to the necessary railway lines for the journeys.
Varamis Rail managing director Phil Read said: “As the UK’s newest train operator, Varamis Rail is keen to promote the sustainable benefits that the railway has to offer to the UK economy along with Network Rail.
“The increase in online shopping and home deliveries over recent years has accelerated the demand to find a more environmentally-friendly solution to moving our parcels, products, or light goods around the UK - one solution is the electrified rail network.”
Network Rail’s senior commercial and customer relationship manager Georgie Newby said: “This is the result of hard work and dedication across multiple organisations all working closely together to deliver a great, zero-carbon service for logistics companies to use.
“We look forward to delivering other innovations to keep growing the amount of parcel logistics transported by rail.”
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