Volvo B9TL

 

SBS Transit Volvo B9TL Wright – Batch 3

In July 2012, SBS Transit announced its decision to order 550 units of Euro V Volvo B9TLs with the WEG2 bodywork, identical to the low-floor Batch 2 units, for fleet expansion and renewal. Combined with a further 450 more Mercedes-Benz Citaros, the order for 1000 buses was valued at S$433 million.

Originally, 550 Volvo B9TL Wrights were ordered, but for reasons unknown, the final Batch 3 bus count increased to 565 buses. Among these buses, 119 units were allocated to the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP), and the remaining 446 units stayed with SBS Transit.

Volvo B9TL buses of the Batch 3 make (446 units) were identical in technical specifications to low-floor Batch 2 units. They were registered between 30 Jan 2013 and 18 June 2015 as SBS3240E – SBS3299L and SBS3600A – SBS3986L, excluding SBS3269Z which is a low-floor Batch 2 bus. The 33xx to 35xx registrations were intentionally skipped to allow for the registration of BSEP buses. BSEP units (119 units) were registered between 1 Feb 2013 and 1 Dec 2014 as SBS3330D – SBS3448Z.

Technical Specifications:

Additional Specifications:

All of these buses were identical in specifications to low-floor Batch 2 buses, but use a mix of Electronic Display Signage (EDS) models. Earlier buses of this batch used LECIP EDS units, while later buses used Hanover EDS units. Licensed carrying capacity remains at 133 passengers.

• Buses registered SBS3761T to SBS3986L and SBS3385X – SBS3448Z were equipped with Hanover EDS units. The remaining have LECIP EDS units.
• SBS3921Z has doors made by Ventura Systems, including a sliding plus rear door similar to those fitted to Enviro500 buses. It replaces swinging plug doors by SMC Transit found on most other Volvo B9TLs and Scania K230UBs.
• SBS3971D (YV3S4P928FA171321) is the 1,000th B9TL Wright delivered to SBS Transit.
• Several buses have been fitted with the Mobileye 560 Advanced Driver Assistance System for driver guidance and enhanced road safety
• Although the normal Volvo D9B310 EC06B engine is 9364cc, SBS Transit brought in 30 buses with a modified 9368cc engine instead. 20 units were registered for the Batch 3 (SBS3240E – SBS3259C), and 10 units for the BSEP Batch (SBS3330D – SBS3339E).
• SBS3968P, SBS3970G, SBS3973Z and SBS3975T – SBS3986L have been purchased by the LTA at book value for the BCM prior to the full transition to the BCM.

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SBS Transit Volvo B9TL Wright – Batch 4

In July 2014, SBS Transit announced orders worth S$311 million for 250 Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses and 415 Volvo B9TL Wright buses, a total of which 296 will be funded by the Government under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP). These 415 Volvo B9TLs fall under the Batch 4, with deliveries starting in mid-2015. However, midway through deliveries, the LTA bought out SBS Transit’s contract for any remaining buses yet to be delivered, transferring these buses to the Bus Contracting Model (BCM)

Production Batch 4 (SBS1Z – SBS23K, SBS3449X – SBS3523P, SG5000E – SG5185E, SG5300P – SG5610U)

The Production Batch 4 Volvo B9TL buses featured modifications to both technical specifications and interior configuration of the bus. They bore Hanover Electronic Display Signages (EDS) and six-speed ZF EcoLife transmissions, features which were present in Batch 1 buses. The interior now features a straight staircase.

The Batch 4 B9TL Wrights were registered from 13 Aug 2015, using the registration numbers SBS1Z to SBS23K for SBS Transit-owned buses, SBS3449X – SBS3482Z & SBS3487K – SBS3523P for BSEP buses and SG5000E – SG5185E, SG5300P – SG5610U for BCM buses.

Buses registered SG5000E – SG5175J were purchased by the Land Transport Authority for the Bus Contracting Model in 2015, with the same specifications as SBS Transit’s order of Volvo B9TL.

Technical Specifications:

Additional Specifications:

The major technical difference in the Batch 4 lies in the powertrain, where the 4-speed Voith DIWA gearbox has been replaced by the 6-speed ZF EcoLife model, which were previously installed only on Batch 1 units. The newest ZF EcoLife 6 AP 1403 B gearbox offers angle drive for the transverse installation of the engine.

The interior has also been modified to accommodate a straight staircase with two landings instead of the conventional curved and continuous staircase. Volvo B9TL chassis built to Hong Kong specifications had previously been modified to accommodate the longer straight stairs (as bus operators requested the feature) and SBS Transit seems to have also adopted the feature.

Additional features include headrests on the side-facing priority seats on the lower deck, and a slimmer EDS housing unit on the upper deck.

All Batch 4 buses owned by SBS Transit (SBS1Z to SBS23K) was purchased by the LTA at book value for the BCM prior to the full transition to the BCM.

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SBS Transit Volvo B9TL Wright– BSEP Buses

For background information on the BSEP, read the Bus Service Enhancement Programme article.

Before the Bus Contracting Model (BCM/GCM) was launched, the LTA had directly funded the purchase of buses under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP) launched in 2012, where these resources were used to launch new bus routes and enhance existing ones. Whilst registrations for Batch 2, 3 and 4 Volvo B9TL Wrights were ongoing, a portion of buses from each batch were diverted to the BSEP, where they were registered as SBS3300R – SBS3523P.

Deliveries ended in early 2016 with the remainder of buses registered under the BCM instead. BSEP Wrights were also the first buses to spearhead the transition to the BCM as these buses were owned by the Government.

Technical specifications of the BSEP-registered Volvo B9TL Wrights are identical to the Production batches that they were taken out from.

• Initial batch: SBS3300R – SBS3329J
  = Similar to low-floor Batch 2 specs
• Second batch: SBS3330D – SBS3448Z
  = Similar to Batch 3 specs
• Third batch: SBS3449X – SBS3482Z
  and SBS3487K – SBS3523P
  = Similar to Batch 4 specs

The initial batch of 30 buses under the BSEP were diverted orders from the 300 buses SBS Transit has announced in September 2010 (Batch 2) to speed up the registration process and acquire a small pool of buses to kickstart the new BSEP routes. Later orders did not interfere much with SBS Transit’s deliveries.

Additional Specifications:

Under the BSEP, these buses are subject to strict deployment regulations, such as being barred from commercial advertising, and deployment only on BSEP bus routes or enhanced bus routes under the BSEP scheme. The LTA can track bus positioning, passenger loading statistics and other parameters in real-time.

Engine Specification change:

Although the normal Volvo D9B310 EC06B engine is 9364cc, SBS Transit brought in 30 buses with a modified 9368cc engine instead. 20 units were registered for the Batch 3 (SBS3240E – SBS3259C), and 10 units for the BSEP Batch (SBS3330D – SBS3339E).

Several units from SBS3385X onwards were fitted with Hanover EDS units.

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SBS Transit Volvo B9TL – Gemilang Coachworks prototype

In 2013, it emerged that SBS Transit was engaging Malaysian bus builder Gemilang Coachworks to design and assemble a new bodywork for the Volvo B9TL. Gemilang had previously designed and assembled its own bodywork for the Scania K230UB and Scania K310UD.

Intended for launch in December 2013, the unit failed LTA road tests. The first demonstrator unit, SBS7777Y, was registered on 22 Jan 2014 and made its debut on 17 Feb 2014, running on Service 7.

Technical Specifications:

Additional

Specifications:

The demonstrator unit SBS7777Y is the first SBS Transit bus to be fitted with Daytime Running LED lamps. Ster NewCity seats are also new to the Gemilang B9TL, with previous generations of buses fully relying on Vogelsitze. Licensed capacity is 133 passengers, comprising of 55 upper deck seating, 27 lower deck seating and 51 standing passengers.

After the full transition of the bus industry to the GCM, SBS7777Y was converted into a Training Bus based at Hougang Depot, as with other non-standard bus models.

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Transition to Bus Contracting Model (BCM)

As part of the transition to the Bus Contracting Model (BCM) around 2014 to 2016, LTA purchase buses from both SBS Transit and SMRT Buses and leased them to the winning transport operators of the various route packages. The bus models for this scheme were SBS Transit’s Mercedes-Benz Citaro and Volvo B9TL (Wright) buses, and SMRT’s MAN A22 and Alexander Dennis Enviro500 buses.

LTA had initiated the BCM initially using buses destined for SBS Transit but registered under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP). These buses, destined for service with SBS Transit fleet but owned by the Government, were rerouted to operators of the first few BCM packages.

In addition, LTA purchased 176 additional Volvo B9TL buses built to SBS Transit specifications for the BCM in 2015.

To further expand the BCM bus pool, the Land Transport Authority said on 29 December 2015 that it would take over SBS Transit’s bus purchasing contracts worth S$164 million for 346 new bus purchases, scheduled for delivery in 2016 and 2017. It will also directly buy 50 buses, worth about S$23 million, which were delivered to SBST between June and December this year.

Among the 346 buses to be bought under the contracts, 246 are double-deck Volvo B9TL buses, and among the 50 buses to be bought from SBS Transit, 38 are double-deck buses. In total, LTA bought over 460 Volvo B9TL buses for the BCM.

As part of the transition to BCM, several new Volvo B9TL buses built to SBS Transit specifications registered for BCM were registered from SG5000E onwards.

Read more at Transitioning of Buses to BCM

SMRT Buses – Volvo B9TL

On 3 Aug 2016, Volvo B9TL buses made their debut with SMRT Buses. These buses were painted in Lush Green, and registered between Feb and Mar 2016 and remained in storage until LTA issued them to SMRT Buses in exchange for Alexander Dennis Enviro500 buses.

Main Article: SMRT Volvo B9TL buses begin operations!

Under the Bus Contracting Model, SMRT Buses operates many Volvo B9TL Wright buses.

Bus Refurbishment

In 2024, refurbishment of some Volvo B9TL Wright buses begun under the Land Transport Authority Contract PT805 – Mid-Life Refurbishment for Buses.

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Additional Specifications

Volvo B9TL
Batch		Registration	Engine	Gearbox	Introduced	Retired	Bodywork
–	CDGE	SBS7300P – SBS7499A	Volvo D9A300 EM-EC01	ZF Ecomat 6HP602 (150), Voith DIWA 864.3 (50)	2006	2023	ComfortDelGro Engineering
1		SBS7500D – SBS7686B	Volvo D9B310 EC06B	ZF EcoLife 6AP 1410B	2010-2011	–	Wright Eclipse Gemini II
2		SBS7700T – SBS7729L		Voith DIWA 864.5	2011	–
	BSEP	SBS3300R – SBS3329J			2012-2014	–
3		SBS3000G – SBS3299L, SBS3600A – SBS3986L			2011-2015	–
	BSEP	SBS3330D – SBS3448Z			2012-2014	–
4		SBS1Z – SBS23K		ZF EcoLife 6AP 1410B	2015	–
	BSEP	SBS3449X – SBS3482Z, SBS3487K – SBS3523P			2015	–
	BCM	SG5000E – SG5185E, SG5300P – SG5610U			2015-2017	–
–	GML	SBS7777Y		Voith DIWA 864.5	2014	–	Gemilang Coachworks

 

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Summary of SBS Transit Wright B9TL Batch deliveries separated by time period:

August 2009

• Original first order of 150 units

September 2010

• Original second order of 300 units
• Later split into Batch 2 (30 low-entry units , 240 low-floor units) and BSEP Batch (30 units)
• Midway into low-entry delivery, SBST changed chassis configuration into a full-low-floor version, hence the remaining 270 units are fully-low-floor.
• Out of the remaining 270 low-floor units, 30 units are funded by the BSEP scheme

July 2012

• Original third order of 550 units. Announced split into Batch 3 (400 units) and BSEP Batch (150 units)
• BSEP buses are funded under the BSEP scheme
• Additional order of 15 buses added midway, bringing the total to 565 units ordered.
• Final count of Batch 3 (446 units) and BSEP Batch (119 units)

July 2014

• Original fourth order of 415 units. Split into Batch 4 (23 units),  BSEP Batch (71 units) & GCM Batch.
• Some units registered under the GCM

May 2015

• Delivery of 1000th Volvo B9TL Wright, SBS3971D, to SBS Transit. Press release states 430 more buses to be delivered.

2015

• Additional 176 Volvo B9TL buses built to SBS Transit’s specifications bought by the Land Transport Authority

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Major accidents & incidents:

 

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Gallery:

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External Links & References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_B9TL
• http://www.sgbuses.com/v/sbst/b9tl-wright/
• Volvo D9A EM-EC01 Factsheet – Volvo
• Volvo B9TL Factsheet – Volvo

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