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Amtrak begins its first electric bus service to complement train schedules
DEEP DIVE
Amtrak begins its first electric bus service to complement train schedules
While intercity passenger rail and bus lines often compete, they also collaborate, and some see partnerships as a predecessor to Amtrak expansion.
Published Aug. 16, 2023
Dan Zukowski
Reporter
Amtrak’s first electric bus began operating Wednesday between Seattle and Bellingham, Washington, to supplement two daily round-trip trains. The round-trip bus journey of nearly 200 miles will run on a single charge using a Van Hool 45-foot motor coach that can seat up to 60 passengers.
While Amtrak is known for its intercity passenger trains, the company also serves many destinations with dedicated buses that connect with and coordinate schedules with Amtrak trains. But unlike electric city transit buses, which can return at night to their depots to recharge, the lack of bus-specific, over-the-road charging infrastructure means intercity bus operators have had limited opportunities to electrify longer routes.
That’s beginning to change: In July, ABC Companies, the North American distributor for Van Hool motor coaches, established a charging facility in Newark, California, capable of charging up to 40 electric buses. James River Transportation, based in Virginia, and Jefferson Lines, a Midwest scheduled bus operator, tested and demonstrated battery-electric buses for intercity service in 2022.
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Amtrak begins its first electric bus service to complement train schedules
While intercity passenger rail and bus lines often compete, they also collaborate, and some see partnerships as a predecessor to Amtrak expansion.
Published Aug. 16, 2023
Dan Zukowski
Reporter
Amtrak’s first electric bus began operating Wednesday between Seattle and Bellingham, Washington, to supplement two daily round-trip trains. The round-trip bus journey of nearly 200 miles will run on a single charge using a Van Hool 45-foot motor coach that can seat up to 60 passengers.
While Amtrak is known for its intercity passenger trains, the company also serves many destinations with dedicated buses that connect with and coordinate schedules with Amtrak trains. But unlike electric city transit buses, which can return at night to their depots to recharge, the lack of bus-specific, over-the-road charging infrastructure means intercity bus operators have had limited opportunities to electrify longer routes.
That’s beginning to change: In July, ABC Companies, the North American distributor for Van Hool motor coaches, established a charging facility in Newark, California, capable of charging up to 40 electric buses. James River Transportation, based in Virginia, and Jefferson Lines, a Midwest scheduled bus operator, tested and demonstrated battery-electric buses for intercity service in 2022.
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