This is a list of Transport for London (TfL) contracted bus routes in London, United Kingdom, as well as commercial services that enter the Greater London area (except coaches). The major operators in the London area are Go-Ahead London, Arriva London, Metroline and Stagecoach London. Other operators in London are London United, Abellio London, Tower Transit, Metrobus, Arriva Shires & Essex, Arriva Southern Counties, London Sovereign, Quality Line, Abellio Surrey, CT Plus, First Berkshire & The Thames Valley, Uno, Carousel Buses, TWH Bus & Coach, Blue Triangle, Green Line Coaches, Sullivan Buses and Imperial Buses.
There are also several operators based outside London that run services either wholly or partly within the area. These services connect London with parts of Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Classification of route numbers
In Victorian times, passengers could only recognise the buses of different fleets and routes by the coaches' distinctive livery colours and line name, with painted signs on the sides showing the two termini to indicate the route. Then, in 1906, George Samuel Dicks of the London Motor Omnibus Company decided that, as the line name 'Vanguard' had proved to be very popular, he would name all lines 'Vanguard' and number the company's five different routes 1 through to 5. Other operators soon saw the advantage, in that a unique route number was easier for the travelling public to remember, and so the practice of using route numbers soon spread.[1]
Historic classification
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 devised it. Variant and short workings used letter suffixes. The numbers reflected the company that operated the route.
The numbering was revised in 1934 after London Transport was formed:[2]
Route Number | Type of Service |
---|---|
1–199 | "Central Area" red double-decker services |
200–289 | "Central Area" red single-decker services |
290–299[3] | "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 |
Current classification
Route Number | Type of Service |
---|---|
1–599 | Day routes, including 24-hour services. |
600–699 | Schoolday services, normally operating only one return journey per day. |
700–899 | Not used for local bus services — numbers reserved for regional and national coach services. |
900–999 | Mobility Services, normally operating one returning journey per week. |
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 the town the bus travels through. |
Key
24-hour bus services | |
Route has variable final destinations or starting points | |
† | Transport for London services that cross the Greater London boundary. Standard ticketing applies throughout. |
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 | Performance |
507 | Victoria Station | Waterloo Station | Go-Ahead London | [440] |
521 | Waterloo Station | London Bridge | Go-Ahead London | [441] |
541 | Prince Regent | Keir Hardie Estate | Go-Ahead London | [442] |
549 | South Woodford | Loughton † | Go-Ahead London | [443] |
600–699
The majority of routes in this sequence are run for schools to reduce overcrowding on regular bus services. Their timetables are subject to short notice alteration and re-routing in accordance with school requirements. A notable exception is route 607, which is a limited stop service operating in West London, whose number is "inherited" from the period (15 November 1936 – 8 November 1960), when this route was served by trolleybuses.[5]
900–999
These are Mobility Bus Routes. These routes provide a once a week return journey to a local shopping centre where there is no alternative route in the main bus network. The prevalence of low-floor buses across London has reduced somewhat the number of Mobility Bus services.
Route | Start | End | Day of Operation | Operator |
931 | Crystal Palace | Lewisham | Fridays only | Abellio London |
965 | Tolworth | Kingston | Mondays and Fridays only | London United |
969 | Whitton | Roehampton Vale | Tuesdays and Fridays only | 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.
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.
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. Route 65 is classed as a 24-hour service, but unusually has an extension to its night service, rather than the night service being designated N65.
Other routes within the London area
These bus routes are operated with a London Service Permit issued by Transport for London, and are generally routes from towns just outside the Greater London boundary to destinations within. The exceptions are the 812, MB1 and 938, which run entirely within the boundary. Another exception is the 724, which although run by a coach company, it is a bus route.
Coach services are not included in this list.
Former routes
This list shows some old routes that used to operate but do not exist anymore.
Route | Start | End | Date of launch | Date of withdrawal | Last operator | Replaced by |
2A | Crystal Palace | Brixton Station | 19 May 1954 | 29 January 1994 | South London | 2 |
9A | Mortlake | Kensington | 18 July 1992 | 7 March 1997 | London United | 209 |
15B | East Ham | Aldgate | 4 March 1989 | 18 September 1999 | Stagecoach East London | 115 |
16A | Brent Cross | Marble Arch | 31 January 1976 | 10 October 1997 | Metroline | 189 |
22A | London Bridge | Clapton Park Estate | 28 October 1972 | 28 February 1998 | Kentish Bus | 149 242 |
22B | Tottenham Court Road Station | Homerton Hospital | 22 November 1987 | 28 February 1998 | Kentish Bus | 242 |
36B | Victoria Station | Grove Park | 26 November 1958 | 12 March 1994 | Selkent | 136 |
45A | South Kensington | Peckham Garage | 10 November 1990 | 2 September 1995 | London Central | 345 |
59 (1985) | Farringdon Street | Streatham Hill Brixton Garage | 2 February 1985 | 29 January 1994 | South London | |
68A | Elephant and Castle | South Croydon Garage | 12 March 1994 | 27 March 1999 | Arriva London | 468 |
77A | Wandsworth | Aldwych | 3 May 1950 | 3 June 2006 | London General | 87 |
84A | Turnpike Lane Station | Barnet Church | 24 April 1982 | 27 January 1996 | Cowie Leaside | 184 |
87 (1934) | Barking Town Centre | Romford Market | 3 October 1934 | 25 March 2006 | Stagecoach London | 5 |
97A | Chingford Station | Walthamstow Central Station | 31 January 1981 | 19 February 2000 | First Capital | 357 |
115 (1984) | Balham | Forest Hill | 24 April 1984 | 29 April 1995 | Cowie South London | 315 P13 |
129 (1939) | Becontree Heath | Claybury Broadway | 7 June 1939 | 26 June 2004 | East Thames Buses | 128 150 |
135 (1987) | Archway Station | Marble Arch | 21 November 1987 | 2 September 2000 | Metroline | 88 |
137A | Crystal Palace | Clapham Common | 2 February 1991 | 18 September 1999 | Arriva London | 417 |
161A | Petts Wood Station | Woolwich | 6 May 1953 | 12 March 1994 | Selkent | 162 |
171A | County Hall | Northumberland Park Tesco's | 1 February 1986 | 17 October 1998 | Arriva London | 341 |
184 (1951) | New Cross | Trafalgar Square | 7 October 1951 | 12 March 1994 | London Central | |
207A | Uxbridge | Charville Lane Estate | 21 July 1990 | 13 November 1999 | First Centrewest | U7 |
228 (1934) | Chislehurst | Eltham | 3 October 1934 | 7 September 1996 | Kentish Bus | 160 321 |
235 (1968) | Leytonstone Station | Woodford Wells | 7 September 1968 | 26 July 1996 | Grey Green | W13 |
239 | Clapham Junction | Victoria | 12 May 1990 | 15 February 2008 | Go-Ahead London | 170 |
243A | Wood Green | Liverpool Street | 19 July 1961 | 19 August 2000 | Arriva London | 243 |
272 (1974) | Woolwich | Thamesmead | 30 November 1974 | 23 January 1999 | Kentish Bus | 244 472 |
274 (1968) | Ealing Broadway | Hayes Station | 30 November 1968 | 21 July 1990 | Centrewest | E6 E7 |
306 | Crystal Palace | Blackheath | 20 June 1992 | 28 September 1996 | Stagecoach Selkent | 202 |
351 | Bromley North Station | Penge | 2 March 1991 | 24 June 2002 | Metrobus | 354 |
354 (1986) | Bromley North Station | Croydon | 16 August 1986 | 19 May 2000 | Metrobus | 314 T33 |
357 (1983) | Croydon | Orpington | 1983 | 1995 | Metrobus | 353 354 (1986) |
369 | Ilford | Thames View Estate | 20 March 1993 | 20 February 2010 | Stagecoach London | EL1 EL2 |
374 | Romford | Harold Hill | 20 March 1993 | 15 October 2005 | Stagecoach London | 174 |
393 (1989) | Hackbridge | Morden Station | 25 February 1989 | 23 November 1996 | London General | 80 151 |
395 (1999) | Limehouse | Surrey Quays | 9 October 1999 | 29 April 2006 | First Capital | |
435 | Southall Town Hall | Heathrow Airport Cargo Area | 25 June 2005 | 22 March 2008 | First Centrewest | 482 |
494 | West Croydon Bus Station | Shirley Monks Orchard | 10 June 2000 | 11 June 2005 | Metrobus | 367 |
501 | Waterloo | London Bridge | 9 September 1968 | 31 May 2002 | London General (Red Arrow) | 521 |
505 | Waterloo | Shoreditch | 4 March 1989 | 19 August 2000 | London General (Red Arrow) | 35 243 |
604 | West Norwood | Stanley Technical High School | 5 September 2005 | 20 July 2007 | Arriva London | |
620 | Biggin Hill Valley | Charles Darwin School | 5 January 2002 | 21 July 2006 | Metrobus | 664 |
630 | New Addington | All Saints Catholic School | 20 July 2007 | Stagecoach London | ||
689 | Clapham Common | West Norwood | 2 September 2011 | Arriva London | ||
726 | Bromley South Station | Heathrow Airport | 16 Apr 2005 | Tellings Golden Miller | X26 | |
746 | Bromley | Tunbridge Wells | 1994 | 1995 | Metrobus | 402 |
805 | Heathrow Airport | Northolt | June 2001 | 25 June 2005 | Bharat Travel | 435 |
917 | South Croydon | West Croydon | 22 June 2011 | Abellio London | 64 T33 | |
941 | Bedfont Green | Hampton Hill | 29 February 2012 | Abellio London | ||
953 | Scrattons Farm | Chase Cross | 7 November 2012 | First Capital | ||
958 | Ilford Hainualt Street | Woodford King's Avenue | 26 July 2011 | First Capital | ||
972 | Neasden Birchen Grove | Colindale ASDA | 22 October 2010 | First Centrewest | 324 | |
980 | Colindale | Brent Cross | 31 July 1991 | |||
E4 | Windmill Park | Perivale | 27 March 1993 | 24 May 1997 | Centrewest | |
H1 | Golders Green | Henrietta Barnett School | 18 May 2013 | Arriva Shires & Essex | 631 | |
H15 | Harrow Weald Oxhey Lane | Northwick Park Hospital | 14 November 1987 | 4 September 1999 | Metroline | 182 |
H21 | Bedfont Green | Sunbury Tesco | 22 January 2000 | 2 December 2005 | Tellings Golden Miller | |
H23 | Heathrow Airport Cargo Area | Hounslow Bus Station | 28 April 1990 | 22 March 2008 | London United | 423 |
H30 | Hatton Cross Station | Heathrow Central Bus Station | 1 November 1998 | 1 May 2004 | Airlinks | |
H40 | Chiswick Grove Park | Park Royal Asda | 9 November 1991 | 26 May 2002 | London United | 272 440 |
H50 | Hayes & Harlington Station | West Drayton | 3 February 2001 | 22 March 2008 | Travel London | 350 |
K6 | Kingston | Roehampton Vale ASDA | 2 December 1989 | 25 July 1998 | Westlink | 485 |
P2 | Peckham, Bus Garage | Lewisham Shopping Centre | 1992 | 1994 | London Central | 484 P13 |
PR1 | Ealing Broadway | Willesden Junction Station | 24 March 2007 | First Centrewest | 226 PR2 | |
PR2 | Wembley Park The Paddocks | Willesden Junction Station | 15 October 2011 | First Centrewest | 206 224 | |
R62 | Hampton Sainsbury's | West Middlesex Hospital | 1992 | 6 May 2006 | Tellings Golden Miller | 481 |
R69 | Richmond | Hammersmith | 7 April 1990 | 11 November 2000 | London United | 419 |
S2 | Stratford | Clapton Nightingale Road | 5 July 2008 | First Capital | 425 488 | |
N10 | King's Cross | Richmond | 29 September 2001 | 30 January 2010 | First Centrewest | 10 33 |
N25 | Oxford Circus | Harold Hill | 15 July 1995 | 26 June 2004 | First Capital | 25 N8 N86 |
N50 | Gallions Reach | Trafalgar Square | 30 June 1995 | 30 August 2008 | Stagecoach London | N550 N551 |
N52 | Victoria Station | Willesden | 3 December 1993 | 8 December 2012 | Metroline | 52 |
N75 | Croydon | Lewisham | 19 May 2007 | Stagecoach London | ||
N77 | Tolworth | Aldwych | 19 August 1995 | 3 June 2006 | London General | N87 281 |
N81 | Victoria | Bexleyheath | 8 October 1993 | 28 June 2002 | London Central | N89 |
N84 | Trafalgar Square | New Cross Gate | 8 October 1993 | 27 February 2001 | London Central | N343 |
N159 | New Addington | Marble Arch | 28 August 2010 | Arriva London | 159 N64 N109 | |
N213 | West Croydon | Kingston | 4 July 2009 | Go-Ahead London | 213 |
See also
References
- ^ Charles Klapper (1984) The Golden Age of Buses. Page 64. Routledge, London ISBN 0-7102-0232-6, ISBN 978-0-7102-0232-1.
- ^ "How are bus routes (especially London bus routes) numbered?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
{{cite news}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ http://www.londonbuses.co.uk/routes/rl-nights.html
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l London Omnibus Traction Society, London Omnibus Traction Society.
- ^ "David Bradley online". Retrieved 11 July 2009.
- ^ "The Reshaping Plan". Red-RF.com. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
- ^ http://www.londonbusroutes.net/changes.htm#102
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.