List of bus routes in London
This page is a list of Transport for London (TfL) contracted London Bus routes in London, as well as private services that enter the Greater London area (except coaches).
Kinds of route numbers
The different kind of routes today
Route Number | Type of Service |
---|---|
1–599 | Day routes, including 24-hour services |
600–699 | School services, normally operating only one return journey per day* |
700–899 | Regional and national coach services |
900–999 | Three mobility services within TfL, detailed below |
N-prefixed routes | Night routes |
X-prefixed routes | Express routes |
Other letter-prefixed routes | Local day routes, including 24-hour services, with the letter(s) denoting a key area the bus travels through. |
*Except 603 and 607, which are normal day time routes
† | Transport for London services that cross the Greater London boundary. Standard ticketing applies throughout. |
Historic numbering
Historically, bus routes run by London Transport were grouped by the type of service that they provided.
The 1924 London Traffic Act imposed a numbering scheme known as the Bassom Scheme, named after Chief Constable A.E. Bassom of the Metropolitan Police who made it. Changing and short lines used letter suffixes. The numbers were grouped also by the company that operated the route.
The numbering was revised in 1934 after London Transport was formed:[1]
Route Number | Former type of Service |
---|---|
1–199 | "Central Area" red double-decker services |
200–289 | "Central Area" red single-decker services |
290–299 | "Central Area" night routes |
300–399 | "Country Area" north of the River Thames (rural services were operated by London Country Bus Services after 1970) |
400–499 | "Country Area" south of the River Thames |
500–699 | Trolleybuses |
701–799 | Green Line Coaches |
800–899 | "Country Area New Towns" routes |
List of routes
All routes operate in both directions unless detailed.
1–99
100–199
200–299
300–399
400–499
500–599
Route | Start | End | Operator | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
507 | Victoria bus station | Waterloo station | London General | |
521 | London Bridge station | Waterloo station | London General | |
533 | Hammersmith | Castelnau | Metroline | |
549 | Loughton | South Woodford | Sullivans Buses[59] | Taken over by Transport for London in 2003. Frequency reduced from a bus every 67 minutes to a bus every 90 minutes in March 2022. No Sunday service.[60] |
600–699
The majority of buses numbered between 600 and 699 are school services, running once on each weekday peak period during school term time.[61] The exception to this is route 607, a limited stop express route.
700–799
Route | Start | End | Operator | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
733 | Oval tube station | Finsbury Square | Tower Transit | Temporary route introduced on 15 January 2022. Created due to a closure of the Northern line.[67] |
900–999
Route numbers from 900 to 999 represent Mobility Buses; these provide a once-a-week return journey to a local shopping centre from relatively low-density neighbourhoods where there is no alternative route in the main bus network. The number of Mobility Buses routes has declined because low-floor and wheelchair-accessible buses run on all London Buses routes.
Route | Start | End | Operator |
---|---|---|---|
969 | Whitton, Gladstone Avenue | Roehampton Vale | Abellio London |
Letter prefixes
Night only routes (N-prefixed)
Night bus routes are often related to the day numerical equivalent, normally running the same route but with an extension at either end of the service. This is normally to provide a night service to destinations served by tube or train during the day.[78]
However, there are a few N-prefixed route numbers that have no relation to their daytime equivalents: the N5, N20, and N97 all operate in a different part of London to their respective day routes, and the N550 and N551 (which provide night service on parts of the DLR network) have no corresponding daytime routes.[78]
There are also 24-hour routes, which run day and night but usually with a lower frequency during the night hours. The vast majority run the same route at all times. With the introduction of the Night Tube, some day routes have been extended to run during Friday and Saturday nights to serve the stations.
Temporary routes
There are four special express routes that run during the Notting Hill Carnival: 2X, 36X, 205X and 436X.[79]
Former routes
This list shows some old routes that used to operate but do not exist anymore. Services withdrawn before 1994 are not listed.
List Of Bus Routes In LondonAxx Media
Two double-decker buses on routes 8 and 205 at Bishopsgate in 2022
A single-decker bus on route 309 in Aberfeldy Village, Poplar in 2022
Feltham tram (in use up to 1933) showing only two slots for the route number.
Related pages
References
- ↑ "Notes and queries: How are bus routes (especially London bus routes) numbered? In my area of south London the numbers vary from 3 to 690, with a few odd letters stuck in there too. Why?!". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,,-197292,00.html.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 Central London Night Bus Map Archived 13 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Bus Service Changes 11 March to 16 April 2017 Transport for London 24 March 2017
- ↑ "17 bus". Mayor's Question Time. 2021-07-05. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Mortimer, Josiah (2021-12-21). "The 41 London bus routes that have quietly been cut in 2021". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ "Plans to cut key bus route revealed". East London and West Essex Guardian Series. 2018-05-16. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Kiss, Bori (2019-05-17). "Buses on newly altered routes in Barnes due to Hammersmith Bridge closure – East Sheen Village". East Sheen Village. Retrieved 2022-01-27.[dead link]
- ↑ "Update from TfL on changed bus routes following the closure of Hammersmith Bridge". Zac Goldsmith. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ Jones, Nick (2014-05-27). "34 bus route too costly to extend". The Barnet Society. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 South-West London Bus Map Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London 9 January 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Munro, Vicky (2019-04-16). "The London bus routes TfL has decided to scrap". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ Turner, David (2018-11-02). "Well done everyone with the 46 bus". Camden New Journal. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ↑ "TfL to cut frequency of bus route 47". SE16.com. 2019-09-13. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 South-East London Bus Map Archived 13 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London 12 September 2015
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Changes to night buses from 12 September 2015 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London
- ↑ Bayley, Sian (2020-01-23). "Here are the major changes about to hit Wandsworth bus routes". Wandsworth Times. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Lyons, Mark (2018-08-16). "Selkent and Metroline lose work". Buses Magazine. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "Tender news from across the capital". Bus Talk (24): 6. 2013-10-24. https://issuu.com/goaheadlondon/docs/bus_talk_-_issue_24_-_october_2013. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Proposed changes to bus services in New Addington and Forestdale Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London
- ↑ "London bus strike: Which routes are affected and why are drivers". The Independent. 2015-01-13. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 East London Bus Map Archived 22 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 Lyons, Mark (2021-09-04). "Tower Transit gains route from Go-Ahead". Buses Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Bus service proposal: routes 76 and N76 Archived 8 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London
- ↑ Marius, Callum (2022-02-19). "Every London bus route that has randomly changed numbers since 2000 and why". MyLondon. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ↑ "Bigger and more frequent buses on key west London bus service". Hillingdon Times. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 "BEXLEY: Changes aimed at improving bus routes". News Shopper. 2009-01-28. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ↑ North London Bus Map Archived 8 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 Night buses in West London Archived 13 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London
- ↑ Buses from Bromley North and Market Square Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London 12 September 2015
- ↑ Dougall, Emily (2018-08-29). "Large TfL tender round sees Arriva scoop new service". CBW. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
- ↑ Lydall, Ross (2016-08-17). "Eight new night bus routes to open as Night Tube launches in London". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
- ↑ "Major improvements to New Addington bus routes due later this year". Your Local Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Lyons, Mark (2017-02-16). "Go-Ahead gains the 131". Buses Magazine. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Woods, Alan (2013-03-15). "Extra bus services added to serve Beths Grammar School in Bexley". News Shopper. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- ↑ "Night route to be cut". Buses Magazine. 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- ↑ Marius, Callum (2022-01-24). "Prettiest countryside village you wouldn't believe is a London bus ride away". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 "Gradual electric bus roll-out continues". Buses Magazine (803): 24. February 2022.
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 "Blue Triangle makes most of 11 new routes". Bus Talk: 7. 2013-10-24. https://issuu.com/goaheadlondon/docs/bus_talk_-_issue_24_-_october_2013. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ↑ "Local bus route in Merton to be electrified by 2021 by JJ Pickin, Richard Challoner School". This Is Local London. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ↑ Night buses in South West London Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London 9 January 2016
- ↑ Buses from Sutton Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London 12 September 2015
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 Peracha, Qasim (2019-12-10). "4 new West London bus routes for Ealing, Hillingdon and Heathrow". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ Volpe, Sam (2018-08-29). "Wembley dismay as 223 bus set to stop going to Harrow after TfL consultation". Kilburn Times. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ Cumber, Robert (2015-07-09). "Bus service to be restored after 'outrage' over cut". MyLondon. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
- ↑ Marius, Callum (2022-03-10). "TfL's fastest bus route which ends up at Winston Churchill's country retreat". MyLondon. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ↑ Night buses in south London Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London 29 March 2014
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 Mathewson, Jessie (2019-12-11). "Transport for London announces new bus services for Harrow and Brent". Harrow Times. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 Marius, Callum (2022-02-04). "The weird London bus route that suddenly finishes at 2.52pm". MyLondon. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
- ↑ Smith, John (2019-07-08). "New bus route 301 linking Abbey Wood Crossrail to Bexleyheath starts this week". Murky Depths. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ "New Greenwich 335 bus route to start in October". Royal borough of Greenwich. 2019-08-29. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ↑ Marius, Callum (2021-11-07). "London bus route ending in middle of nowhere with passengers left on roundabout". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ↑ "Concern over plan to cut bus route". East London and West Essex Guardian Series. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ↑ 53.0 53.1 "TfL's budget problems lead to bus cuts for 410 and 433". Inside Croydon. 2018-07-29. Archived from the original on 2021-08-27. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ↑ Short Hops Buses issue 765 December 2018 page 23
- ↑ "TfL Proposed Changes to bus routes in Sutton and Croydon". East Coulsdon Residents' Association. 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ↑ Isaacson, Bea (2022-02-14). "'I went on London's most beautiful and scenic bus route that only cost £1.55'". MyLondon. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ↑ "Nine Elms on the South Bank". Nine Elms on the South Bank. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ↑ Marius, Callum (2021-08-08). "Lost London bus routes into the countryside that have vanished over the years". MyLondon. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ↑ "SULLIVAN BUSES - Routes". sullivanbuses.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
- ↑ Marius, Callum (2022-03-22). "London's 'least reliable' bus route where you now have to wait well over an hour". MyLondon. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ↑ "Travel guidance for schools". Transport for London. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
The majority of our schoolday-only routes (routes generally numbered 600-699)
- ↑ Marius, Callum (2022-02-11). "I went on the poshest London bus route that makes just 4 trips a day". MyLondon. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ↑ 63.0 63.1 Marius, Callum (2021-11-23). "The furthest north, south, east and west you can travel by London bus". MyLondon. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ↑ 64.0 64.1 "Croydon Schoolbus changes". Buses Magazine (803): 22. February 2022.
- ↑ "New bus route to run from Purley to Thornton Heath". Croydon Advertiser. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015.
- ↑ "Wandsworth closes to TfL services". Buses Magazine. 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
- ↑ "London Underground: Key parts of Northern line to close for four months". ITV News. 2021-11-05. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ↑ Marius, Callum (2022-03-23). "Every London bus route that takes you along a motorway". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ↑ "Wandsworth Bridge closure". TfL. 2023-07-24.
- ↑ Marius, Callum (2021-06-29). "All the London bus routes which disappeared in the past 5 years". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
- ↑ 71.0 71.1 71.2 71.3 71.4 71.5 71.6 Marius, Callum (2022-05-11). "All the London bus routes that run in a circle". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
- ↑ Karpazli, Ertan (2023-01-15). "The London bus route which runs from Tesco to Tesco via lots of Tescos". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
- ↑ "Consultation launched into route change for Kingston's K1 bus". Surrey Comet. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ↑ 74.0 74.1 "Boris rejects changes to K2, K3 bus routes". Your Local Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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. - ↑ Jones, Tom (2023-07-01). "London's most useless bus route that only runs 9 times a day". MyLondon. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
- ↑ Marius, Callum (2022-03-01). "Short London bus route that's also 1 of London's busiest due to 2 steep hills". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ↑ 78.0 78.1 Wallis, Philip (2013). London's Night Buses 1984-2013 (2 ed.). London: Capital Transport Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85414-372-3.
- ↑ "Check before you travel to Notting Hill Carnival and enjoy the event: Sunday 26 - Bank Holiday Monday 27 August 2012". Government of the United Kingdom.
- ↑ 80.0 80.1 80.2 Wharmby, Matthew (2008). The London Titan. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-3299-6.
- ↑ Improved bus services in Stratford, Clapton & Bow Transport for London 1 July 2008
- ↑ New night bus services in West London Transport for London 22 January 2010
- ↑ Night buses N550 and N551 to replace the N50 Transport for London 22 August 2008
- ↑ Major changes to routes 15, N15, 159 & N159 Transport for London 24 August 2010
Bibliography
- Atkin, Michael. "THIS SCEPTRED ISLE", The Guardian
- Carr, Ken, The London Bus Guide. Boreham: Visions International Entertainment, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9570058-0-8.
Other websites
- London Buses Archived 2004-08-11 at the Wayback Machine