London Bus Tender Awards: Route 21 to Continue Using New Routemasters, and Route 126 to Use New Electric Single-Deck Buses

As the year 2025 draws to a close, Transport for London (TfL) has announced the latest London bus tender awards. Under the new contracts, the three-door, two-staircase New Routemasters will continue operating on route 21 for a further two years, while route 126 will be worked by new electric single-deck buses.

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

Transport for London celebrates 160 years of the London Taxi’s Knowledge!

160 Years Of The Knowledge - TfL image

For over 160 years, the ‘Knowledge of London’ has been the gold standard of professional navigation, but in the age of GPS, some questioned its future. However, new data from Transport for London (TfL) reveals a surprising resurgence. With applications up nearly 70 per cent since 2022 and completion times dropping from five years to just three, the iconic black cab trade is entering a new era of efficiency. As TfL celebrates this historic milestone, the London taxi remains not just a symbol of the past, but a high-tech, highly skilled pillar of the city’s modern transport network.

TfL press release:

The Mayor of London unveils 2026 TfL fares package, with certain fares and Travelcards frozen

Last month, the UK Government announced a freeze on railway fares, and the Mayor of London has announced that certain fares for Transport for London services have also been frozen.

Mayor of London Press release:

Transport for London Awards First Group Contract to Operate Overground Services

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that FirstGroup has won the concession to operate London Overground services, which form part of the United Kingdom’s National Rail network.

(Unofficial text)

Rail for London Limited intends to enter into new contracts for the following service with the operator listed below:

Transport for London issues update on the replacement of New Routemasters with double-deck electric buses on routes 8 and 16

Route 8 New Routemaster showing front-door-only boarding
Photo by TfL

Here is an update on the New Routemasters that will soon be replaced by double-deck electric buses. I do not currently know which makes and models of electric buses Stagecoach and Metroline have chosen for routes 8 and 16 respectively. This is a follow-up to three of my previous articles.

̶L̶o̶n̶d̶o̶n̶ Dublin Bus Tender Awards: Go-Ahead Ireland Wins Contract to Operate 65 PSO Bus Routes in the Outer Dublin Metropolitan Area

As we are in the final month of the year, December 2025, Transport for London (TfL), ahem, the National Transport Authority (NTA) in Ireland has announced that Go-Ahead Ireland has won a contract to operate 65 Public Service Obligation (PSO) bus routes across the Outer Dublin Metropolitan Area.

This is a brief follow-up to my previous article in September, when Go-Ahead Singapore won the contract from the Land Transport Authority to operate 27 bus routes in Singapore.

From The National Transport Authority