Iconic London Routemaster red bus goes green with Cummins Euro 6 power at Goodwood

Cummins’ display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (June 23-26) has a unique engineering project on show.

An iconic London Routemaster red bus is going ‘green’ with a Cummins ISB4.5 clean diesel engine, ensuring it is ready to meet the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) standards planned to take effect in congested areas of the capital from 2018 to 2020.

The AEC Routemaster RM1005 double-deck bus which first entered service in 1962, now has the distinction of being the oldest ever bus to meet the latest Euro 6 emissions standards. This follows a repower project undertaken by the application engineering team at the Cummins Darlington Engine Plant. The project offers the opportunity to preserve historic Routemasters for many years ahead.

The bus owner, Sir Peter Hendy CBE, former Commissioner of Transport for London, challenged the Cummins engineers to extend the operating life of RM1005 with a cost efficient repower package, thereby creating an ultra-low emissions option to enable other Routemasters to continue operating in London.

Initial road testing reveals the bus to be easy to drive, with smooth acceleration and quiet operation. The driver cab dash panel and pedal controls have been upgraded to align with the new engine technology.

The highly compact envelope of the 4.5-litre ISB clean diesel engine and integrated exhaust after-treatment is an ideal fit in the small engine compartment, ensuring that the characteristic external appearance of the bus remains unchanged.

“This is the first public display of the Cummins repowered Routemaster and we’re sure its iconic design coupled with its ultra-clean environmental credentials will prove of great interest to visitors to the Goodwood event, commented Ashley Watton, Cummins Director – On- Highway Europe.

“This year’s diesel star of the Goodwood event is one of the most interesting engineering projects the Cummins team has ever embarked upon. While there is further road testing to be completed, the repowered Routemaster offers the potential to achieve an extremely low carbon footprint per passenger. This means that RM1005 could return to the streets of London with an equal environmental standing as the latest generation of diesel hybrid and alternative fuel buses currently running in the capital.

It seems fitting that the leading independent engine supplier into the European bus market be first to bring Euro 6 low emissions technology to this historic vehicle, building on Cummins success in the bus market and the recent launch of stop-start technology,” concluded Watton.