Friday, 20 February 2026

London Bus Tender Awards: New Electric Buses for Route 267, New Routemasters Continue on Routes 24 and 27

New bus for London launch poster, 2012 - TfL image

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that routes 24 and 27 will continue to use three-door, two-staircase hybrid New Routemasters. Route 267, which currently uses New Routemasters from the final batch, will be replaced by a mix of new and existing double-deck electric buses, presumably taking over vehicles previously used as older New Routemasters on other routes.

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

Route 24 (24h)
Retained by: Transport UK London
Peak Vehicle Requirement (PVR): 18
Vehicles: Existing New Routemaster
Contract Start Date: 7th November 2026
Contract End Date: 9th November 2029

Route 27 (24h)
Retained by: Transport UK London
PVR: 19
Vehicles: Existing New Routemaster
Contract Start Date: 7th November 2026
Contract End Date: 8th November 2030

Route 235
Retained by: London United
PVR: 23
Vehicles: Existing electric single deck
Contract Start Date: 9th January 2027
Contract End Date: 11th January 2030

Route 267
Retained by: Transport UK West London
PVR: 16
Vehicles: New and existing electric double deck
Contract Start Date: 7th November 2026
Contract End Date: 4th November 2033

Route 286
Retained by: London Central
PVR: 11
Vehicles: Existing hybrid double deck
Contract Start Date: 11th July 2026
Contract End Date: 13th July 2029

New electric vehicles may enter service after the contract start date, dependent on infrastructure and/ or vehicle delivery timescales.
The hybrid vehicles detailed above will meet Euro VI emissions standards.

It goes to show that the three-door, two-staircase New Routemasters are leaving routes 8, 16, 267 and 313, as the transition to zero-emission buses accelerates through the competitive tendering of bus routes.

In a recent article, I reported that commenters on the TfL consultation have made numerous requests for more New Routemasters on the network. Many suggested that TfL should purchase additional fully electric NRMs.

I believe in creativity, not just in bus design but also in branding, because each bus service should stand out from the rest to make it more attractive. While I am not advocating a relaunch of the NRM project, I have suggested that bus manufacturers should design and develop a three-door, two-staircase double-deck electric bus, for which a tri-axle version has already been produced for Singapore.

In addition, I would like to see more Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services in London, along with stronger bus priority measures, which would also help emergency services improve their response times.

 Here are the highlights of my posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) and BlueSky. If you have an account on X and BlueSky, you are welcome to like and retweet my posts.

 

Transport for London Have Your Say TfL plans new crossings and a raised junction on the A205 and Hillside Road to improve safety near two schools and support cycling. Works are due in 2027, with minimal traffic impact and the removal of one parking bay. haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/christchurch...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 11, 2026 at 11:40 AM

Transport for London Freedom of Information release: Woodford points under temporary speed restriction; Leyton–Stratford westbound normal, eastbound limited until March. Four refurbished trains in service under the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP). tfl.gov.uk/corporate/tr...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 11, 2026 at 3:35 PM

The report outlined how BusConnects in Ireland reviewed bus stop locations to improve safety, access and capacity. It examined stop spacing, design standards and passenger demand, alongside consultation, catchment analysis and interchange planning to support reliable, high-frequency corridors. 🇮🇪🚏🚌🚍

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 12, 2026 at 12:42 PM

Transport for London Freedom of Information release: TfL has published Croydon bus pre-planning and tender papers for routes 433, 119/N119, 197, 407, 645, 664 and 109/N109, showing proposed frequency changes, contract terms and vehicle specs. tfl.gov.uk/corporate/tr...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 13, 2026 at 4:45 PM

Five 1960s AEC Routemaster buses from Transport for London will be auctioned by Wilsons Auctions Newcastle on 4 March at 11am. The former London double deckers are all in running condition and can be viewed by appointment ahead of the sale. www.wilsonsauctions.com/auctions/com...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 14, 2026 at 8:31 PM

🚇🛗♿🚍🚏⦵ ​I'd like to go back to the 1960s and 1970s to advise the GLC and London Transport on accessibility. This includes installing lifts and level boarding at Tube and Railway stations, plus encouraging the XRM rollout to bring forward wheelchair-accessible buses.

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 15, 2026 at 4:18 PM

#Transport for #London Freedom of Information release: #TfL reports 406,038 PCNs to non-London vehicles, 77,107 warning notices, £2.33m publicity campaign, and 631,004 Auto Pay registrations for the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels scheme. tfl.gov.uk/corporate/tr...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 16, 2026 at 7:11 PM

Better Bus Southwark invites local people and businesses to share views on improving bus speed, reliability, safety, accessibility, and streetscapes between London Bridge and the South Circular, with TfL funding and zero-emission buses. engage.southwark.gov.uk/en-GB/projec...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 17, 2026 at 1:47 PM

A record £1.26bn for policing in London is proposed in the draft Budget unveiled by @london.gov.uk @sadiqkhanlondon.bsky.social for 2026-27. It also sets aside £50m for youth services, £29m for VAWG, £8m for rough sleeping and £20m for AI skills as crime falls. www.london.gov.uk/mayor-publis...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 19, 2026 at 2:05 PM

Transport for London Freedom of Information release: Ticketing and Revenue Update issue 157 reports 5.8% Underground fare rises from March 2026, frozen bus/Travelcard fares, Project Proteus account-based ticketing, and contactless PAYG expansion. tfl.gov.uk/corporate/tr...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Department for Infrastructure’s 2024/25 Public Transport and Journey Planning report 📊 71% satisfied with public transport in Northern Ireland 🚌 21% use it daily/weekly, 64% at least yearly 📈 Survey of 4,584 guides sustainable travel policies www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/news/public-...

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 19, 2026 at 5:44 PM

⦵ Transport for London to raise Tube and rail fares from 1 March 2026 🚌🚈 Bus and tram fares frozen until 5 July 2026 🎫🚇 Travelcards and caps frozen to March 2027 🆓 Free SL4, 108 and 129 travel extended to 26 May 2026 ➡️ Sadiq Khan says it supports lower-income Londoners

[image or embed]

— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) February 20, 2026 at 12:34 PM

I would like to extend an invite for you to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) for transport-related updates. You can find me by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my X page here. I am also present on BlueSky and Mastodon. I look forward to connecting with you on these platforms. Thank you for your support.

Posted by at

Share this page