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Vic double-deckers

Double-decker bus ready to hit the streets of West Melbourne to connect with new rail link

Public Transport Victoria (PTV) has purchased a double-decker Volvo/Volgren to run between brand new train stations at Wyndham Vale and Tarneit in Melbourne’s west.

The new stations along the new 45 km line between West Werribee and Southern Cross Station open on June 21.

The brand new Volvo-Volgren was unveiled for the first time at the Volgren stand at the AusTech Expo in Melbourne last week.

The company supplies many double-decker buses to Asia, but this is one of the first of its kind to be rolled out here in Australia.

Volvo Bus Australia general manager Sean Copeland says he is very pleased Victorian passengers will get to experience travel on the brand new 90-seat model.

“Having the first Volvo double deck bus go into operation in Victoria is a great achievement for the Volvo bus team,” he says.

“This would not have happened unless the concept was 100 per cent supported by local bodybuilder Volgren along with CDC Victoria.”

Copeland is confident the high-capacity bus will fit the brief perfectly and allow passengers to get to where they need to be, without having to wait for the next service, or the snag of limited passenger numbers on traditional buses.

“Volvo and Volgren would like to thank both CDC and PTV for allowing us the opportunity to provide such a unique concept to the Victorian bus industry,” Copeland says

“The B9TL chassis is a proven product which operates in markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore and Volvo Bus Australia are confident that it will be a success in Victoria.”

The bus was designed and manufactured in Volgren’s Dandenong production facility.

Volgren business development manager Jon Tozer says he is pleased interest in the double-decker is gaining momentum domestically.

“We have a long history of suppling double deck bodies to Asia, having exported them to operators in Hong Kong and Singapore for over 15 years,” he says.

“This new bus’s structure is based on this proven long lasting design that has operated in these harsh traffic and climatic conditions without question to date.

“Volgren is the only Australian bus manufacturer to offer the full suite of products – from rigid buses through to articulated and now double-decker city buses.

“This puts us in a position where it can meet any operator’s requirements.”

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