Berkhof Ambassador
Encyclopedia
The Berkhof Ambassador is a low-entry bus
produced by the Dutch
bus manufacturer VDL Berkhof. The section between the front and rear door are at the same height. The seats at the very rear are a bit higher, and can be reached by using stairs.
This type of bus is most commonly used in the Netherlands and Denmark. In the Netherlands, owners and operators include:Arriva, Breng
, Connexxion
, Hermes, Syntus
and Veolia Transport. In Denmark, owners and operators include: Arriva, City Trafik, De Hvide Busser, Ditobus, Kruse, Nettbuss and Nobina.
engine makes the bus quieter. The suspensions has also been improved, allowing for a smoother ride.
The first series (Connexxion/Hermes) of Ambassadors was delivered with green LCD route signals (line number and destination). These occasionally malfunctioned, and later series were delivered with orange LED route signals. This type of bus has been involved in several incidents: in December 2003 a driver was killed after becoming stuck between the front door and the bus (this type of door has since been replaced), and during a storm on 18 January 2007 an Ambassador was blown off a dike
due to its light weight.
was inadequate for an order of this size, the factory in Valkenswaard
was equipped to build Ambassador buses as well. Following its success in the Netherlands, the Ambassador was also exported; orders were placed by operators in Denmark
, Germany
and Israel
. In July 2008, Connexxion placed a 355-bus order for the Ambassador, to be delivered throughout the year. The total cost of the order was €75 million.
, or 12 m). Its coachwork
rests on a DAF/VDL SB200
chassis, which is also used for the Wright Commander
from Wrightbus
. The weight of the older buses differs from later models because of different materials and a different engine. Its interior varies by company. The passenger seats are made inexpensively; they are plastic cups with a layer of foam on the seat and fabric on top. Several buses have been equipped with more-luxurious seats.
which is designated Ambassador Low Entry 106 (ALE 106) (bus length 106 dm, or 10.6 m). These buses are primarily used in several cities in the Netherlands. The bus is built on a DAF/VDL SB120
chassis, which was also used for the Wright Cadet
. In 2008, the DAF/VDL SB120 chassis was exchanged for a VDL SB180.
A large number of buses have been exported to Egged in Israel, Germany, Denmark, Portugal and Sweden.
Low-floor bus
A low-floor bus is a bus that has no steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. Being low floor improves the accessibility of the bus for the public, particularly the elderly or infirm, or those with push chairs, and increasingly, those in wheelchairs.In the modern...
produced by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
bus manufacturer VDL Berkhof. The section between the front and rear door are at the same height. The seats at the very rear are a bit higher, and can be reached by using stairs.
This type of bus is most commonly used in the Netherlands and Denmark. In the Netherlands, owners and operators include:Arriva, Breng
Breng
Breng is the name of the new durable public transportation concept in the Stadsregio Arnhem-Nijmegen. Novio is the operator since December 2009, for a period of 3 years....
, Connexxion
Connexxion
Connexxion is the largest public transport bus company in the Netherlands, operating in the west, middle, east and far northern part of the country. It was formed in 1999 as result of a fusion between the public transport companies NZH, ZWN, Midnet and Oostnet. Its name is a mutation of the French...
, Hermes, Syntus
Syntus
Syntus bv is a public transport company operating bus and passenger train services in the east of the Netherlands. It is owned jointly by NS Reizigers and Keolis...
and Veolia Transport. In Denmark, owners and operators include: Arriva, City Trafik, De Hvide Busser, Ditobus, Kruse, Nettbuss and Nobina.
History
The Ambassador has been in production since 2001, and its exterior is largely unchanged; the interior, however, has undergone several changes, and the vehicle is assembled at low cost. The older series (built from 2001–2005) has an inferior suspension, which causes the bus to rattle. The Ambassador was originally equipped with a Voith automatic gearbox, which was noisy. Later versions are sturdier, and more-recent Voith gearboxes are quieter in use. The combination of better isolation and a more environmentally-conscious CumminsCummins
Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...
engine makes the bus quieter. The suspensions has also been improved, allowing for a smoother ride.
The first series (Connexxion/Hermes) of Ambassadors was delivered with green LCD route signals (line number and destination). These occasionally malfunctioned, and later series were delivered with orange LED route signals. This type of bus has been involved in several incidents: in December 2003 a driver was killed after becoming stuck between the front door and the bus (this type of door has since been replaced), and during a storm on 18 January 2007 an Ambassador was blown off a dike
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
due to its light weight.
Orders
Connexxion has ordered the most Ambassador buses by far; in 2005 it placed an order of 300 buses for €50 million. Since the capacity of VDL's factory in HeerenveenHeerenveen
Heerenveen is a town in the Heerenveen municipality of the province of Friesland , in the north of the Netherlands.- History :The town was established in 1551 by three lords as a location for the purpose of digging peat which was used for fuel, hence the name...
was inadequate for an order of this size, the factory in Valkenswaard
Valkenswaard
Valkenswaard is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. The municipality had 30,871 citizens and spans an area of 56,50 square kilometers ....
was equipped to build Ambassador buses as well. Following its success in the Netherlands, the Ambassador was also exported; orders were placed by operators in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In July 2008, Connexxion placed a 355-bus order for the Ambassador, to be delivered throughout the year. The total cost of the order was €75 million.
Ambassador 200
The Ambassador 200 is a 12-meter-long lightweight bus made for local and long-distance transportation. Hundreds of buses from this type have been produced. It is designated as Ambassador Low Entry 120 (ALE 120) (the bus length is 120 dmDecimetre
A decimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one tenth of a metre, the SI base unit of length. In simple words there are 10 cm in a decimetre....
, or 12 m). Its coachwork
Coachwork
Coachwork is the body of a horse-drawn coach or carriage, a motor vehicle , a railroad car or railway carriage. Usually reserved for bodies built on a separate chassis, rather than being of unitary or monocoque construction...
rests on a DAF/VDL SB200
VDL SB200
The VDL SB200 is a light-weight 12m citybus produced from 2001 by VDL Bus International...
chassis, which is also used for the Wright Commander
Wright Commander
The Wright Commander is a low-floor single-deck bus body built by Wright on DAF/VDL SB200 chassis. Examples entered service in the UK between 2002 and 2007, the majority with Arriva subsidiaries...
from Wrightbus
Wrightbus
Wrightbus is an independent coachbuilder and pioneer of the low-floor bus. Based in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, it was established in 1946 by Robert Wright and currently run by his son William Wright.-History:...
. The weight of the older buses differs from later models because of different materials and a different engine. Its interior varies by company. The passenger seats are made inexpensively; they are plastic cups with a layer of foam on the seat and fabric on top. Several buses have been equipped with more-luxurious seats.
Ambassador 120
Using knowledge and experience gained from the ALE120, VDL designed a 10-meter midibusMidibus
A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which generally are larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long...
which is designated Ambassador Low Entry 106 (ALE 106) (bus length 106 dm, or 10.6 m). These buses are primarily used in several cities in the Netherlands. The bus is built on a DAF/VDL SB120
VDL SB120
The VDL SB120 is a low-floor light-weight midibus produced from 1999 by VDL Bus International of the Netherlands primarily for the UK market....
chassis, which was also used for the Wright Cadet
Wright Cadet
The Wright Cadet was a midibus body built by British coachbuilder Wrightbus, solely on the DAF/VDL SB120; it was sold via VDL dealer Arriva Bus & Coach. For a time, Volvo additionally sold the chassis/body combination, however the body was marketed as the Merit.The Cadet was replaced by the Wright...
. In 2008, the DAF/VDL SB120 chassis was exchanged for a VDL SB180.
Overview
The following table shows the Ambassador 200 buses in service in the Netherlands and other countries:| Company | Amount | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Arriva Holland | 227 | 6100-6109, 6171-6189, 8001-8069, 8201-8244, 8301-8385 |
| Arriva Denmark | 2 | 1761–1762 |
| Veolia Transport Holland | 393 | ex-BBA: 901-902, 5050-5057, Veolia: 5001-5049, 5058-5242, 5243-5342, 5343-5363, 5364, 5365-5367, 5368-5391 (5319,5320,5321 and 5367 are sold to "Zwaluw reizen") |
| City-Trafik Denmark | 6 | 2431–2436 |
| Connexxion Holland | 1110 + 12 Ambassador 120 |
ex-Hermes: 1734-1747, 1756–1760, 1761–1771, 1773–1776, 1777–1787, 1790–1791, 1836–1839, 1843–1844, 1850–1851, 1854-1860 ex-Stadsvervoer Nederland: 5101-5131 (tot 01-01-2008 SVN-series 101-131) Connexxion: 4134-4229, 4230-4253, 4254-4277, 8100-8224, 8233-8254, 8278-8375, 8380-8728, 8792-8828, 8883-8976 Ambassador 120: 8226-8232 (Maassluis, Den Haag), 8225, 8376-8379 (urban transport Zaandam Zaandam Zaandam is a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811... ) |
| Concodia Bus Denmark | 11 | 6001-6011 |
| DitoBus Denmark | 7 | 4656-4662 |
| Hermes Holland | 136 | 1733, 1748–1755, 1772, 1788–1789, 1792–1793, 1801–1830, 1831–1835, 1841–1842, 1845–1849, 3330-3404, 3479-3483 |
| De Hvide Busser A/S Enmark | 17 | 8715-8732 |
| Kruse Denmark | 3 Ambassador 120 | 22-24 |
| Millennium Transportation International | 3 | 02-25, 02-26, 02-27 later as BBA InterHoMe 903-905, now Connexxion 3156-3157 and Snelle Vliet (Coaches) 204 |
| Syntus Holland | 49 + 8 Ambassador 120 |
1449–1472, 1501-1526 Ambassador 120: 1482-1488 |
| Taxi Centrale Renesse Holland | 14 + 1 Ambassador 120 |
419-432 Ambassador 120: 56 |
| Østtrafik Denmark | 4 | 7603-7606 |
| Transportes Sul do Tejo Portugal | 37 Ambassador 200 | |
A large number of buses have been exported to Egged in Israel, Germany, Denmark, Portugal and Sweden.