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

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.