Transport for London (TfL) has announced that the 312 bus route, which is set to be the first all-electric service in the capital, will be run by Arriva from September 2015 under a new contract.

While Arriva already runs the service, it is currently served by traditional buses, except for two Optare MetroCity electric single deck buses that have been trialled to see if the technology is suitable for the heavy use and pressures of London.

Arriva is already negotiating with manufacturers to provide a further seven electric buses, although a date for fully converting the route to electric vehicles has yet to be set.

Mike Weston, TfL's director of buses, said: “This is an exciting new milestone for our bus fleet, which is already one of the cleanest in Europe. We currently have eight electric buses in our fleet and as this number grows we are learning more about this new technology.”