London Bus Tender Awards: New Routemasters to Continue on Route 453

The London Bus Tender Awards, announced by Transport for London (TfL), have revealed that the three-door, two-staircase hybrid New Routemasters will continue to operate on route 453.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Route 385
Retained by: Stagecoach East London
PVR: 1
Vehicles: Existing diesel single deck
Contract Start Date: 18th October 2025
Contract End Date: 20th October 2028

Transport Funding in the 2025 UK Spending Review: Strategic Considerations for London

In this article, I will highlight key details from the UK Government’s HM Treasury Spending Review 2025, with a particular focus on public transport. While the broader review includes major commitments to the National Health Service (NHS), this piece will concentrate on the financial commitments and policy direction for transport infrastructure.

London Bus Tender Awards: Route 149 to Continue Using New Routemasters, New Electric Buses for Route 275, and Go-Ahead London Central Wins Bakerloop Express BL1 Contract – Launching in September 2025

 

Bakerloop BL1 Bus - TfL Image

In this special London Bus Tender Awards update, it has been revealed that Arriva London has retained route 149 and will continue to operate three-door, two-staircase hybrid New Routemasters.

The Bakerloop Express BL1 route, part of the Superloop network, has been awarded to Go-Ahead London Central, who will introduce electric buses. The service is expected to launch on 27 September 2025.

Transport for London Once Again Postpones Release of the Big Red Book Sixth Edition

This short article provides an update on the progress of the much-anticipated sixth edition of the Big Red Book, which many had expected to be released in 2025. The information was published by Transport for London (TfL) in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

Request ID: FOI-0610-2526
Date Published: 2 June 2025

London Bus Tender Awards: New Double-Decker Electric Buses For Routes 240 and 486

Transport for London (TfL) has awarded new bus contracts for routes 123, 158, 240, and 486. Routes 240 and 486 will operate with new electric double-deck buses from 2026, while routes 123 and 158 will continue with existing hybrid vehicles.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Why Transport for London Should Trial Bus Designs from Other Countries with Improved Accessibility Features and Stakeholder Feedback

This article follows on from my previous article, 'Exploring the Challenges and Considerations of Buses with Two Wheelchair Spaces And Buses of Longer Size', where I stated:

"This would allow TfL and organisations representing older and disabled people to evaluate different features used in buses across various cities and trial them in passenger service. It would also provide an opportunity to gather feedback from individuals and stakeholders."

Why Public Feedback Should Shape Transport Policy: Consultation and Decision-Making in Transport for London's Bus Service Changes

Route 205 leaflet from 2002 - © TfL

Transport for London’s (TfL) consultation report on the proposed changes to bus routes 30 and 205 included a reference to one of my tweets, which I appreciated. As some of my followers on X (formerly known as Twitter), Mastodon, and Bluesky may have seen, I’ve been sharing excerpts from the report.

London Bus Tender Awards: New Electric Buses for Routes 51, 162, 178, 244, 291, and B11, and Arriva Wins Route 248 with New Routemasters

Transport for London (TfL) has revealed the latest round of bus contract awards, highlighting continued progress towards a zero-emission fleet. Routes 51, 162, 178, 244, 291, and B11 are set to operate with electric buses, including a mix of new electric single and double-deck vehicles. Route 248 will continue to be operated with the existing three-door, two-staircase New Routemaster hybrid buses.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

London Bus Tender Awards: New Electric Single-Deck Buses for Route 493

As we are in the middle of May 2025, the recent London Bus tender awards have revealed that Transport UK London has won the route 493 contract, with new single-deck electric buses for Transport for London (TfL).

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

TfL to Trial Bus Passenger Counting Systems (Again) and Revive the Routemaster's 'Ding Ding' Sound to Improve Bus Safety

Earlier this year (2025), I revealed that Transport for London (TfL) would be trialling new features to improve safety for bus passengers, including details about the revival of the ‘ding ding’ sound, which could become part of the new bus safety standard if the trials prove successful.

Reviewing Transport for London’s New Bus Specification v2.6: New Zero-Emission Buses Should Be Creative, Not Restrictive

In this article, I will review Version 2.6 of the New Bus Specification, released by Transport for London (TfL) via their Freedom of Information disclosure log. The document includes a comprehensive set of updates and revisions aimed at enhancing safety, environmental performance, and operational efficiency.

Notable changes include the removal of engine emissions requirements, reflecting the shift towards zero-emission buses, and the addition of new requirements such as fire safety protocols, driver assault screens, and updated acceleration performance standards.

A Brief History of Low-Floor Buses and London Transport’s XRM Project: A Missed Opportunity for Accessibility

The evolution of low-floor buses has been integral to the advancement of accessible public transport. London, a city with a rich history of bus innovation, has witnessed both pioneering developments and missed opportunities in this field. The XRM project by London Transport in the 1970s stands out as a significant, yet unrealised, leap towards wheelchair accessibility at a time when such considerations were rare.

London Bus Tender Awards: Route 372 to Operate New Electric Double-Deck Buses

As of May 2025, it has been announced by Transport for London (TfL) through the London Bus Tender Awards that Stagecoach London has retained another route serving the London Borough of Havering. Route 372, which operates between Hornchurch and Lakeside Shopping Centre (located in Thurrock, outside Greater London), will use new electric double-deck buses and runs via Rainham and Aveley.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

London Bus Tender Awards: New Electric Buses for Routes 184, 217, 484, and 496

Transport for London (TfL) has announced the latest bus contract details, with a focus on the introduction of electric buses. Routes 184, 217, 484, and 496 will transition to electric buses, featuring a combination of new and existing electric single and double-deck vehicles.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Reimagining the Silvertown Tunnel: A Case for Tram Integration

Map of the Silvertown Tunnel
Image - Transport for London (TfL)

This article follows up on my previous suggestion to explore the conversion of bus lanes and priority measures for tram use. It's important to remember that bus lanes and priority schemes aren't solely for buses; they also play a crucial role in enabling emergency services to improve their response times and potentially save lives by avoiding heavy traffic congestion.

London Bus Tender Awards: New Electric Buses for Routes 174 and 674

As we are in the middle of April 2025, the recent London Bus Tender Awards have revealed that Stagecoach has retained route 174 with new electric double-deck buses. This means the existing electric buses from routes 173 and 174 will cascade to other routes, helping to increase the number of zero-emission bus services.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Route 122
Retained by: Stagecoach Selkent
PVR: 19
Vehicles: Existing hybrid double deck
Contract Start Date: 7th February 2026
Contract End Date: 9th February 2029

Freedom of Information Request to TfL Reveals Designs and Costs of Vinyl Coverings for Elizabeth Line Station Platform Seats

Design of vinyl sticker covering for Liverpool Street station
© TfL

Transport for London (TfL) has introduced an initiative to address the issue of ‘ghost marks’ or ‘shadows’ appearing on the walls behind seating areas at the central tunnel stations of the Elizabeth Line. These marks, which occur over time from passengers leaning against the walls, contribute to damage to the paintwork. In response, TfL is trialing vinyl sticker designs to help address the issue.

London Bus Tender Awards: New Routemasters to Continue on Route 3, New Electric Buses for Routes 173/673, 292, 675, B12, and B15

Transport for London (TfL) has announced in the London Bus Tender Awards that route 3 will continue to use hybrid New Routemasters with three doors and two staircases. Routes 173/673, 292, 675, B12, and B15 will use new electric buses.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

London Bus Tender Awards: Existing Single-Deck Diesel Buses to Continue on Routes 246, 352, 354, 356, and K2.

Transport for London (TfL) has announced in a London Bus Tender Awards that routes 246, 352, 354, 356, and K2 will continue to use existing single-deck diesel buses as part of the contract renewal.

LBSL intends to enter into a new contract for the following route with the operator listed below:

Transport for London Quietly Withdraws the Paper 'One Day Bus & Tram Pass'

Last updated - 6th June 2025:

It has been revealed in the Staff Guide to Fares and Ticketing, March 2025, that Transport for London (TfL) has discontinued the sale of the paper One Day Bus & Tram Pass at Tube, DLR, Tram, and railway stations. This decision impacts people who are digitally excluded, as they will now have to buy the pass at Oyster Ticket Shops.

The text in the document Staff Guide 2 - Types of Tickets and Ways to Pay - Updated: March 2025 states:

London Bus Tender Awards: Go-Ahead London Central Retains Route 12 with New Routemasters, and Route S1 to Use New Electric Single-Deck Buses

Transport for London (TfL) has announced in the London Bus tender awards that the three-door, two-staircase hybrid New Routemasters will continue to operate on Route 12, and Transport UK London has won Route S1 with new single-deck electric buses.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Transport for London Publishes Most Common Station-to-Station Tube, Overground, DLR, and Elizabeth Line Journeys for 2024

Transport for London (TfL) reveals from a Freedom of Information request the most common journeys for the London Underground (LU) for the year 2024.

This is a follow-up to my previous articles from last year, where I listed the most common station-to-station journeys for National Rail, the Elizabeth Line, London Overground, the Underground, and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) for 2023.

The table lists the most frequent journeys on the Transport for London network in 2024, showing the origin station, destination station, and number of trips. The busiest route is between Bank and Waterloo LU, with over 1.2 million trips. Other popular routes include Liverpool Street to Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus to Victoria LU, and Canary Wharf to London Bridge LU, each with over 900,000 trips. Some routes, like London Bridge NR to Not Applicable, also see significant traffic. I’m not sure why TfL has listed 'Not Applicable' as a station in the spreadsheet, but I assume it could indicate a missing touch by a passenger when using their Oyster or contactless bank card to travel from their origin or destination station. The list features key lines across the Tube, Overground, DLR, and Elizabeth Line.

The top 20 most common journeys are as follows:

Transport for London Reveals the Fate of Two Missing New Routemaster Buses

A photo of LT174

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Transport for London (TfL) has revealed that two three-door, two-staircase hybrid New Routemasters (NRMs), designed by Heatherwick Studio and manufactured by Wrightbus, have been missing from the bus fleet.

The person submitting the FOI request referred to a previous FOI response which included the following text:

"Of the total fleet, TfL own the 998 New Routemasters and 20 Hydrogen vehicles."

Let’s take a look at the questions and answers from TfL.

Transport for London Shouldn't Debrand the Bakerloop BL1 Bus; It Should Be Used to Promote the Consultation

Drawings of the Bakerloop BL1 Bus - TfL Image

The purpose of this article is to further elaborate on my point made on social media that Transport for London (TfL) revealed in a Freedom of Information request that it has spent a total of £13,515.28 to brand one double-deck electric bus (BYD BD11) in the Superloop/Bakerloop BL1 livery for press publicity.

London Bus Tender Awards – Four Bus Routes in Havering to Use Double-Deck Electric Buses

Alexander Dennis Enviro100EV and Enviro400EV
Image by Alexander Dennis

Transport for London (TfL) has announced in the London Bus Tender awards that four routes in Havering have been retained by Stagecoach London, with brand new double-deck electric buses.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Route 165
Retained by: Stagecoach East London
Peak Vehicle Requirement (PVR): 13
Vehicles: New electric double deck
Contract Start Date: 27th September 2025
Contract End Date: 24th September 2032

London Bus Tender Awards: New Electric Buses for Route 106

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that route 106 will transition to new double-deck electric buses operated by Go-Ahead London General.

LBSL intends to enter into a new contract for the following route with the operator listed below:

Let's Discuss the Rear Open Platform of a Bus

The open platform of various double-deck buses

The open platform had been the most unique and controversial feature, especially when it was in use in London for regular passenger services.

I'm not an expert in history, especially with the (double-deck) trams and trolleybuses prior to 1962.

If we go back a century, trams, trolleybuses, and buses had open platforms (or steps) where anyone could board and enter at any time, similar to the hail-and-ride system.

This was especially true for horse buses, where fixed bus stop points were unknown. Essentially, it was hail-and-ride everywhere at the time.

London Bus Tender Award: Stagecoach Wins Route 138 From Go-Ahead Metrobus, Using Existing Single-Deck Buses

We are now in February 2025, and Transport for London (TfL) has announced the award of a new tender for Route 138.

LBSL intends to enter into a new contract for the following route with the operator listed below:

Route 138
Current Operator: Go-Ahead Metrobus
New Operator: Stagecoach Selkent
Peak Vehicle Requirement: 3
Vehicles: Existing diesel single deck
Contract Start Date: 15th March 2025
Contract End Date 15th March 2030

The diesel vehicles detailed above will meet Euro VI emissions standards.

FOI Insights on London Underground Train Cancellations and Station Closures Due to Staff Shortages and the Status of CSA Recruitment

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Transport for London (TfL) has revealed the frequency and duration of closures at London Underground stations.

Request ID: FOI-3172-2425
Date published: 30 January 2025

Consultation for the Bakerloop BL1 is Now Open!

Map of the proposed Bakerloop BL1 - TfL Image

Transport for London has opened the consultation for the Bakerloop BL1, which is proposed to run from Waterloo to Lewisham town centre via Elephant & Castle. TfL is beginning to fulfill the Mayor's manifesto commitment to expand the Superloop express bus services.

#TfL has launched a consultation on the ‘Bakerloop’ express bus, linking areas from Waterloo to Lewisham via Elephant & Castle. The new route, building on the #Superloop, aims to improve travel in south-east #London. Feedback is open until 14 March 2025. tfl-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/bakerlo...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) January 31, 2025 at 4:20 PM

BL1 – Proposed express bus route between Waterloo and Lewisham town centre

The BL1 Bakerloop would run:

• Seven days a week
• Operating between 05:00 and 00:30 (it would not operate through the night)
• Every 12 minutes during the daytime from Monday to Saturday
• Every 15 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays

Celebrating 25 Years of Transport for London

TfL Image - TfL 25 Roundel

Transport for London (TfL) celebrates its 25th anniversary, marking its creation alongside the Greater London Authority (GLA). Both of these authorities were established as part of Tony Blair’s New Labour 1997 manifesto commitment to create a new London-wide authority, a step that had been absent since the Greater London Council was abolished in 1986. In 1998, 72% of the electorate voted in favour of establishing the Greater London Authority, alongside the Mayor of London, the London Assembly, and Transport for London. The voter turnout was 34%.

Subsequently, the government passed the Greater London Authority Act 1999, which created the GLA and TfL. Elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly were held on 4th May 2000.

This led to significant changes in public transport in London.

Transport for London’s 2024 Consultation Reports on Bus Service Changes Reveal Ongoing Demand for the New Routemaster and Tram Buses

Last updated - 16 May 2025

Silhouette of the New Routemaster and Irizar ie tram

This is a follow-up to my previous article from last year, where I gathered information from Transport for London’s consultation reports and highlighted the requests for zero-emission New Routemaster (NRM) and tram-style buses.

Let’s take a look at the 2024 consultation reports I have researched:

London Bus Tender Awards: Retentions for Routes 285 and 326 with Existing Buses

Here’s another round of London Bus Tender Awards for January 2025, which shows that Transport for London and London Sovereign have retained routes 285 and 326.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

London Bus Tender Awards – Three Routes to Continue with Existing Diesel Single-Deck Buses

Transport for London (TfL) has announced yesterday (14th January) the first round of London Bus Tender awards for the New Year (2025), with three bus routes set to continue using single-deck buses until the end of 2028.

LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Route 318
Current Operator: Arriva London North
New Operator: Go-Ahead London General
PVR: 9
Vehicles: Existing diesel single deck
Contract Start Date: 8th November 2025
Contract End Date: 10th November 2028

Interesting FOI Requests to Transport for London – Bus Lane Enforcement on Christmas Day, Update on Central Line Improvement Programme, Piccadilly Line, and More

I will be reviewing various Freedom of Information (FOI) requests that have been responded to and published by Transport for London (TfL), particularly in relation to the current situation involving the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP) and the new 2024 Tube Stock for the London Underground Piccadilly Line.

Actual off-peak Oyster times
Request ID: FOI-3161-2425
Date published: 14 January 2025

In Support of Matthew Somerville's Live London Underground Tube and Bus Maps

Update - 14th January 2025: The live Tube and London Bus maps has been reinstated.

Matthew Somerville has stated:

"TfL have apologised for the way that their “online brand protection agency” handled this and their approach to my hosting provider, and will be discussing matters with them. Given that, and the numerous emails I have been receiving from people missing the maps, I’m happy to reinstate them."

He also stated on BlueSky:

"I have removed the schematic map, which was the only actual issue. My issue was with their outsourced badly written threat. We got to the point where we agreed their outsourced agency was either lying or wrong, and their templates are not clear. So I can hope something might come out of that, but 🤷"

Original article continues below:

Recently, during this week, the live London Underground Tube and Bus maps were removed from the website run by Matthew Somerville. It was popular, having received press coverage from the BBC, The Guardian, etc. Bear in mind, I don't wish to get involved in any internet dramas or disputes; the purpose is to raise awareness of this issue.

Unfortunately, he replaced it with a webpage explaining why the removal occurred. He said:

Greater Manchester Launches Final Phase of Bus Franchising, West Midlands Launch Consultation on Bus Franchising, and Silvertown Tunnel to Open on 7 April 2025

Volvo BZL Double-Deck For The Bee Network - Photo by TfGM

Firstly, Happy New Year 2025 to my readers! I hope we will progress positively in this new chapter.

On 5th January, Greater Manchester finally launched the final phase of bus franchising, which means that control of bus services has been fully regained by the transport authority, Transport for Greater Manchester, as part of the Bee Network brand.