List of bus routes in London
This page is a list of Transport for London (TfL) contracted London Bus routes in London, as well as private services that enter the Greater London area (except coaches).
Contents |
Numbering of route numbers[change]
Historic numbering[change]
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 made it. Changing and short lines used letter suffixes. The numbers were grouped also by the company that operated the route.
The numbering was revised in 1934 after London Transport was formed:[1]
| Route Number | Type of Service |
|---|---|
| 1–199 | "Central Area" red double-decker services |
| 200–289 | "Central Area" red single-decker services |
| 290–299 | "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[change]
| 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 buses. |
| X-prefixed routes | Fast routes. |
| Other letter-prefixed routes | Local day routes, including 24-hour services, with the letter(s) for the town the bus travels through. |
Key[change]
| 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[change]
1–99[change]
100–199[change]
200–299[change]
300–399[change]
400–499[change]
500–599[change]
| Route | Start | End | Operator | Performance |
| 507 | Victoria | Waterloo | Go-Ahead London | [440] |
| 521 | Waterloo | London Bridge | Go-Ahead London | [441] |
| 549 | South Woodford | Loughton † | Go-Ahead London | [442] |
600–699[change]
Many of these routes are run for schools to lower overcrowding on normal bus services. Their timetables are subject to short notice changing and re-routing in accordance with school needs. 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.[2]
| Route | Start | End | Educational Establishment | Operator |
| 601 | Thamesmead | Dartford Heath † | Wilmington Hall School | Selkent |
| 602 | Thamesmead | Bexleyheath | Townley Grammar School for Girls | Selkent |
| 603 | Swiss Cottage Station | Muswell Hill | Metroline | |
| 605 | Edgware Station | Mill Hill | Mill Hill County High School | Metroline |
| 606 | Queensbury | Barnet | Ravenscroft School | Metroline |
| 607 | White City | Uxbridge | First Centrewest | |
| 608 | Gallows Corner | Shenfield High School † | Shenfield High School | East London (First Capital from 3 September 2011) |
| 609 | Hammersmith | Mortlake | Harrodian School | Metroline |
| 611 | Stonebridge Park | East Finchley | Metroline | |
| 612 | Selsdon | Wallington | Wallington County Grammar School Warlingham Secondary School |
Metrobus |
| 613 | Worcester Park | Sutton Common | Glenthorne High School | London United |
| 616 | Winchmore Hill | Edmonton Green Shopping Centre | The Latymer School | First Capital |
| 617 | Turnpike Lane Station | Turkey Street | St Ignatius' College | Arriva London |
| 621 | Lewisham | Eltham | Crown Woods School | Go-Ahead London |
| 624 | Woolwich | Grove Park | Crown Woods School | Selkent |
| 625 | Plumstead Common | Chislehurst | Go-Ahead London | |
| 626 | Finchley | Potters Bar † | Dame Alice Owen's School | Metroline |
| 627 | Woodcote Green | Cheam | Wallington High School | Arriva London |
| 628 | Southgate | Kingsbury | JFS | Arriva London & Metroline |
| 629 | Wood Green | Turkey Street | St Ignatius' College | Arriva London |
| 632 | Colindale Station | Kilburn Park | Metroline | |
| 634 | Muswell Hill | Barnet | Arriva London | |
| 635 | Brentford | Sunbury Cross † | St. Paul's School | Metroline |
| 636 | Sidcup | Bromley South Station | Kemnal College, Eltham College | Selkent |
| 637 | Sidcup | Bromley South Station | Eltham College, Kemnal College, | Selkent |
| 638 | Sidcup | Coney Hall | Beaverwood School, Kemnal College, Cooper School,Eltham College | Selkent |
| 639 | Clapham Junction | Putney | John Paul II School | Go-Ahead London |
| 640 | South Harrow Station | Harrow Weald | Whitmore High School, Salvatorian College, Sacred Heart College, Bentley Wood School | Arriva Shires & Essex |
| 641 | Teddington School | West Molesey † | Teddington School | Quality Line |
| 642 | West Hendon | Stanmore | London Academy | Arriva Shires & Essex |
| 643 | Brent Cross | East Finchley | Christ's College Finchley | Metroline |
| 646 | Noak Hill | Cranham | First Capital | |
| 647 | Romford | Harold Hill | Harold Hill Community School | East London |
| 648 | Romford | Cranham | Go Ahead London (First Capital from 3 September 2011) | |
| 649 | Romford | Emerson Park | Campion School | Go-Ahead London |
| 650 | Romford | Emerson Park | Emerson Park School | Go-Ahead London |
| 651 | Romford | North Romford | Bower Park School | Go-Ahead London |
| 652 | Rainham | Upminster | Sanders Drapers School Havering Sixth Form College |
First Capital |
| 653 | JFS | Muswell Hill | JFS | Arriva London |
| 654 | Selsdon | Ramsden | The Priory School, Ravens Wood School | Metrobus |
| 655 | Mitcham | Raynes Park | Raynes Park High School | Go-Ahead London |
| 656 | Gallows Corner | Emerson Park | Emerson Park School | First Capital |
| 657 | South Chingford | Woodford Wells | Trinity Catholic High School, Bancroft's School |
Arriva London |
| 658 | Woolwich | Crown Woods School | Crown Woods School | Selkent |
| 660 | Bellingham | Eltham | Crown Woods School | Selkent |
| 661 | Mottingham | Petts Wood | Eltham College & Cooper School | Go-Ahead London |
| 664 | New Addington | Biggin Hill | Charles Darwin School Ravens Wood School |
Selkent |
| 665 | Surbiton | New Malden | Holy Cross School | London United |
| 667 | Ilford | Chigwell † | West Hatch School | Arriva London |
| 669 | Erith | Albany Park | Cleeve Park School | Go-Ahead London |
| 670 (To be discounted from 23 July 2011) | Clapham Junction | Putney | John Paul II School | Go-Ahead London |
| 671 | Chessington S. Sta. | Kingston | Tiffin Girls' School | London United |
| 672 | Woolwich | Thamesmead | Woolwich Polytechnic School | Selkent |
| 673 | Beckton | Becontree | Warren School | Go-Ahead London |
| 674 | Romford | Harold Hill | Go-Ahead London | |
| 675 | St James Station | Woodford | Woodbridge High School | CT Plus |
| 678 | Beckton | Stratford | St Angela's Ursuline School | East London |
| 679 | Goodmayes | Chingford | Woodford County High, Trinity Catholic High School |
First Capital |
| 681 | Hounslow | Teddington | Teddington School | London United |
| 683 | Friern Barnet | Kingsbury | JFS | Arriva London |
| 685 | Selsdon | Hamsey Green † | Warlingham Secondary School | Arriva London |
| 686 | Romford | Harold Hill | St. Edward's School | First Capital |
| 688 | Southgate | Kingsbury | JFS | Arriva London |
| 689 (To be discounted from 30 July 2011) | Clapham Common | West Norwood | Burntwood School | Arriva London |
| 690 | Clapham Common | West Norwood | Burntwood School | Arriva London |
| 691 | Ham | Surbiton | Hollyfield School | London United |
| 692 | Winchmore Hill | Potters Bar | Dame Alice Owen's School | First Capital |
| 696 | Hayes | Bishop Ramsey School | Bishop Ramsey School | London United |
| 697 | Ickenham | Kinghill Avenue | The Douay Martyrs School | London United |
| 698 | Ickenham | West Drayton | The Douay Martyrs School | London United |
| 699 | Winchmore Hill | Potters Bar † | Dame Alice Owen's School | First Capital |
900–999[change]
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. Low-floor buses across London has reduced a lot the number of Mobility Bus services.
| Route | Start | End | Day of Operation | Operator |
| 917 | Park Hill Rise | Croydon | Wednesdays only | Abellio London |
| 931 | Crystal Palace | Lewisham | Fridays only | Abellio London |
| 941 | Bedfont Green | Hampton Hill | Wednesdays only | Abellio London |
| 953 | Scrattons Farm | Chase Cross | Wednesdays only | First Capital |
| 958 | Woodford | Ilford | Tuesdays only | First Capital |
| 965 | Tolworth | Kingston | Mondays and Fridays only | London United |
| 969 | Whitton | Roehampton Vale | Tuesdays and Fridays only | Abellio London |
Letter prefixes[change]
Night only routes (N-prefixed)[change]
Night bus routes are often connected to the day number 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, in a few cases, services have a route number that has no relation to its daytime equivalent, such as the N5, which operates in a different part of London to day route 5.
There are also 24-hour routes, which are listed in the day routes above, shaded blue. 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[change]
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 R21, 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[change]
This list shows some old routes that used to operate but do not exist anymore.
This list is incomplete. Please help by expanding it.
References[change]
- ↑ The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,,-197292,00.html.
- ↑ "David Bradley online". http://www.trolleybus.net/gb607.htm. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
- ↑ "The Reshaping Plan". Red-RF.com. http://red-rf.com/rf-543. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
Bibliography[change]
- Atkin, Michael. "THIS SCEPTRED ISLE", The Guardian