Routemaster City Tours & General Information

Routemaster buses

The New Routemaster draws inspiration from its iconic predecessor, which was first unveiled 60 years ago on 24 September 1954 at the Earl's Court Commercial Motor Exhibition.

The Routemaster bus was developed by London Transport from the early 1950s, initially as a motorbus to replace London's extensive (electric) trolleybus network, then in the course of being phased out.

London Transport had been involved with the manufacture of Halifax bombers during World War II and gained much experience in working with lightweight aluminum and new manufacturing techniques.

The new bus was to take advantage of this knowledge by being much lighter than conventional London buses of the time but still having more seats (64 compared to 56). It was also wider than its contemporaries (2.43 meters compared with 2.28 meters), giving more room for the conductor and passengers.

From the outset it was decided that this new bus would be named the Routemaster.

First productions

With a few exceptions, the new bus had an engine by AEC (Associated Equipment Company) and bodywork by Park Royal, with whom London Transport had a close working relationship.

Four prototypes were built: RM1 and RM2 were similar to each other; RML (the third prototype) had a Leyland engine and RMC (the fourth prototype) which also has a Leyland engine and was a Green Line coach with power-operated doors and luggage racks.

The prototype vehicles were subjected to extensive testing before construction of production vehicles got under way in 1959.

In total 2,760 Routemaster buses were built for London, with production ending in 1968.

Later Routemaster years

During the 1970s Routemaster appeared in a number of special overall advertising liveries. For example, a batch was painted silver for the 1977 Queen's Silver Jubilee.

From the early 1980s, many Routemaster were sold off for use elsewhere in the UK and indeed worldwide and a flourishing preservation movement began with its own owners' association. Many are still used by private operators for weddings, sightseeing and other corporate events.

Despite being of an obsolete design by the 1980s, the bus went through a programme of refurbishment and soldiered on into the 1990s and past the Millennium, being regarded by many as an icon of London.

Routemaster continued in service on many central London routes but were finally withdrawn from normal passenger service in 2005.

Due to great popular public support, heavily-refurbished and re-engined examples are kept and used - with conductors - on part of bus route 15 in central London.

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Routemaster bus, Piccadilly Circus

Routemaster bus, Piccadilly Circus1 of 11

Where to catch the bus

More than 800 New Routemaster will enter passenger service by 2016.

The New Routemaster buses operate on these routes:

8 - Oxford Circus to Bow Church
9 - Hammersmith to Aldwych
10 - Hammersmith bus station to King's Cross St. Pancras
11 - Liverpool Street station to Fulham Broadway
24 - Hampstead Heath to Pimlico
38 - Victoria to Hackney
55 - Oxford Circus to Leyton
137 - Oxford Circus to Streatham Hill
148 - Camberwell Green to White City bus station
390 - Notting Hill Gate to Archway
453 - Marylebone station to Deptford Bridge

You can get realtime service information for all London buses, including the New Routemaster, by following ourTwitter Bus Alertsfeed.

Using the bus

The bus has three sets of doors, each with Oyster card readers, making iteasier to get on and off. Inside, there are two staircases, one near the front and one at the back, for easy access to and from the upper deck.

On the busier Central London routes, the bus will run with a conductor for most of the day. Conductors will not collect fares but will supervise the rear platform when they are on board, ensuring passenger safety when hopping on or off and providing travel advice.

When conductors are not present, the rear doors will be operated by the driver.

How to pay

Oyster card holders or passengers using contactless payment cards can use any of the doors to board.

Passengers with a printed Travelcard or other printed pass or ticket must use the front door and show these to the driver.

Watch your step

When getting on or off using the open rear platform, please only do so when the bus is stationary and watch out for moving traffic.

About the bus

Design and innovation

The design makes use of lightweight materials, with glass highlighting key features and producing a light and airy feel inside the bus. The interior and external styling of the bus was developed with help from our design partner,Heatherwick Studio. The buses are manufactured byWrightbusin Northern Ireland.

Accessibility

The bus has a step-free gangway on the lower deck from the front to the back, allowing ease of access for people with mobility impairments and passengers with buggies. There is a large wheelchair bay directly opposite the ramped centre door. Passengers are alerted to the next stopby audio and visual announcements.There's also a T-Loop system which transmits announcements for passengers with hearing aids.

Better for the environment

The bus uses the latest green diesel-electric hybrid technology and is the best performing bus of its kind in the world. In test conditions the New Routemaster produced around half the carbon dioxide and a quarter of the particulate matter and nitrogen oxides of conventional diesel buses and is more fuel efficient.

How does it work?

A battery pack powers the electric motor which drives the wheels on the bus. The battery is charged by a generator and through regenerative braking (where the system recycles the energy lost during the braking motion). Stop-start technology means the engine only runs when it needs to charge the battery.

Vital statistics

Length: 11.2 meters
Height: 4.4 meters
Width: 2.5 meters
Turning circle: 21 meters
Capacity: 87 (40 seated on upper deck, 22 seated and 25 standing on lower deck
Unladen weight: 12 tonnes
Engine: 4.5 litre diesel
Max speed: 50 mph

Routemaster buses

The New Routemaster draws inspiration from its iconic predecessor, which was first unveiled 60 years ago on 24 September 1954 at the Earl's Court Commercial Motor Exhibition.

London Transport had been involved with the manufacture of Halifax bombers during World War II and gained much experience in working with lightweight aluminum and new manufacturing techniques.

From the outset it was decided that this new bus would be named the Routemaster.

First productions

With a few exceptions, the new bus had an engine by AEC (Associated Equipment Company) and bodywork by Park Royal, with whom London Transport had a close working relationship.

The prototype vehicles were subjected to extensive testing before construction of production vehicles got under way in 1959.

In total 2,760 Routemaster buses were built for London, with production ending in 1968.

Later Routemaster years

During the 1970s Routemaster appeared in a number of special overall advertising liveries. For example, a batch was painted silver for the 1977 Queen's Silver Jubilee.

Routemaster continued in service on many central London routes but were finally withdrawn from normal passenger service in 2005.

Due to great popular public support, heavily-refurbished and re-engined examples are kept and used - with conductors - on part of bus route 15 in central London.Looking for cheap London days out for the family? Why not take a tour of the City on an old Routemaster bus? From Wren's London to the old newspaper offices of Fleet Street, here's what you'll see from the window...

The iconic ‘Routemaster’ double-decker bus was introduced in London in 1956 and remained in general service until 2005. However, owing to Government legislation requiring full accessibility to public transport for wheelchair users by 2017, only two ‘Heritage’ routes, the no. 9 and no. 15, still use original Routemaster. However, London's mayor, Boris Johnson, championed the reintroduction of new Routemaster buses to the capital in 2012.

This tour, on board the no. 15 from the Tower of London to Trafalgar Square, via St Paul's Cathedral, is a good option for families with young children, who'll love sitting upstairs in the old-fashioned Routemaster. Adults should find the whistle-stop tour of the City equally rewarding. It's a good choice for a rainy day too...

The no. 15 bus is scheduled to take 25 minutes to complete its route but can take longer in rush hour, running daily every 15 minutes 9.30am–6.30pm in both directions. Note that not every no. 15 is a Routemaster, so wait until one arrives for this tour. The other ‘Heritage’ route, the no. 9, continues from Trafalgar Square to the Albert Hall, via Pall Mall, Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge. Conductors accept Travelcards, Oystercards or cash fares.

Tower Hill

If you arrive by tube, turn right as you leave Tower Hill station, towards theTower of London. Cross the road via the subway and ascend the steps to your left for the bus stop. This may be a good time to visit the Tower of London, before catching the no. 15.

Towards Eastcheap

Once on the bus, on your right is the grandPort of London Authoritybuilding. Then on your left, just past the Tower of London isAll Hallows Church, the City’s oldest, dating from 675. Next, driving up Great Tower Street, on your right, up Mincing Lane, you glimpseThe Gherkin, Norman Foster’s peculiarly shaped office tower.

Towards Old Bailey

As the street becomes Eastcheap, (‘east market’ – it was lined with butchers’ stalls in medieval times), on the right is Sir Christopher Wren’sChurch of St Margaret Pattens. Soon after, on the left is Pudding Lane, where theGreat Fire of 1666began in a bakery; it is commemorated by the column ofThe Monument.The bus then crosses King William Street, which leads left toLondon Bridgeand The Shard, and right towards theBank of Englandand, in the distance, theBarbican Tower.

Now on Cannon Street, to your right is Wren’sSt Stephen Walbrookand rising up behind, the 1970s’Tower 42(the old NatWest Tower), once Britain’s tallest skyscraper. Next – and unmissable – on the right isSt Paul’s Cathedral, while a glance to the left reveals the Millennium Bridgeover the river toTate Modern. Moving on to Ludgate Hill, on the right, isSt Martin’s Church, and beyond, theOld Bailey, the scene of many famous criminal trials.

Fleet Street and Strand

Past Ludgate Circus on toFleet Street,you will seeSt Bride’s Church, which inspired the tiered wedding cake, on the left, down Bride Lane. On the right are the black Art Deco former newspaper offices of theDaily Express(nicknamed ‘Black Lubyanka’) and, shortly afterwards, at no. 135, the former offices ofThe Telegraph. Next on the right isYe Olde Cheshire Cheese, one of the City’s oldest pubs, followed by the Law Courts towards the end of Fleet Street.

The start of theStrandis marked by the dragon of theTemple Bar monument, set in the middle of the road, and soon afterwards, Wren’sSt Clement Danes, the church of the Royal Air Force. Then, to the left of the other island church,St Mary-le-Strand, isSomerset House, now a major art museum. Shortly afterwards on the same side of the road is theSavoy Hotel,which was built by Richard D’Oyly Carte, who also produced Gilbert and Sullivan operas.

Finally, the bus rolls intoTrafalgar Square, where the tour ends.

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