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| Wrightbus wins order to build 600 London buses | Wrightbus wins order to build 600 London buses |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The County Antrim company, Wrightbus, has won a multi-million pound order to build 600 buses for London commuters. | The County Antrim company, Wrightbus, has won a multi-million pound order to build 600 buses for London commuters. |
| Transport for London (TfL), the organisation which manages the city's public transport network, agreed the order at a board meeting on Thursday. | |
| Wrightbus, which is based in Ballymena, was originally awarded a contract in January 2010 to design a new bus for London. | Wrightbus, which is based in Ballymena, was originally awarded a contract in January 2010 to design a new bus for London. |
| Eight of its prototype buses are already being used in the city. | Eight of its prototype buses are already being used in the city. |
| It was the first time in 50 years that a new bus had been designed for London commuters. | It was the first time in 50 years that a new bus had been designed for London commuters. |
| 'Cutting edge' | |
| In a statement, TfL said the deal represented "the largest order of hybrid buses ever placed in Europe and will deliver significant environmental benefits". | |
| "The decision takes forward Mayor Boris Johnson's election pledge to introduce 600 of the new Routemaster-inspired vehicles that resurrect the iconic hop-on hop-off rear platform by 2016. | |
| "The new bus for London incorporates the most innovative and cutting edge hybrid technology and is the most environmentally-friendly bus of its kind, benefiting air quality and reducing carbon emissions," the statement added. | |
| The MP for North Antrim, Ian Paisley, said the order was a "very significant boost" for the Northern Ireland economy. | |
| "The ability of Wrightbus to secure these kind of orders comes the company's innovation and commitment to quality. | |
| "It is this kind of high quality and high value engineering which can ensure that Northern Ireland companies can compete with, and beat the best in the world to secure contracts," Mr Paisley added. |