Route 6 to Lead the Way as TfL Unveils 'Buses for London'

Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled 'Buses for London', a new publicly owned bus company for the capital, and named route 6 as the first service it will run. 

Tom Harrison (Bus Ambassador)

The company is due to launch in late 2027, with Park Royal Depot in west London as its first operational base. A further four routes will be announced over the coming year and are due to transfer from 2028.

TfL says the company will let it test new approaches to reliability, safety, decarbonisation, customer experience and driver welfare. It also means any profits can be reinvested in the transport network.

How London's Buses Work Today

For readers outside the capital, London's bus system works differently from most of Britain. London was not part of bus deregulation in 1986. Instead, TfL plans the routes, sets fares and timetables, and pays private companies to run the buses.

Operators bid for each route. Contracts generally run for seven years and pay the operator a set income that depends on performance.

London's buses have been privately operated since the mid-1990s. TfL currently contracts eight privately owned operators across almost 700 routes. Under the new model, the public company would sit alongside those operators rather than replace them overnight.

It is not the first time TfL has run buses itself. East Thames Buses was set up in 1999 after the collapse of Harris Bus and was sold to Go-Ahead London in 2009.

The plans first appeared in TfL's business plan earlier this year. They have been developed with the Unite union and follow last year's Bus Services Act, which lifted the ban on local authorities setting up their own bus companies.

Route 6

Route 6 runs 24 hours a day between Willesden and Victoria station, via Kensal Rise, Queen's Park, Warwick Avenue, Edgware Road, Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner. Metroline has run it from Willesden garage ever since the route was first put out to tender.

Park Royal

Park Royal is a large industrial area in west London. Enthusiasts will know the name from Park Royal Vehicles, which built the AEC Routemaster there until the works closed in 1980.

The depot will initially support around 100 zero-emission buses, and the site will be electrified for the purpose. TfL is working with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), which is leading the regeneration of the surrounding area.

The site is leased until 2033, when it will be released for redevelopment under the Old Oak masterplan. TfL and OPDC will look for a permanent home for the depot before then.

Lorna Murphy, TfL's director of buses, said:

"Today's announcement marks an exciting new chapter for London's buses and an important first step in exploring how a publicly owned bus company could support the future of the capital's transport network.

"The depot will provide a base for cleaner, greener services, helping us to build on the progress we've already made towards a more sustainable transport system."

Matthew Carpen, chief executive of OPDC, said the agreement "supports cleaner, greener bus services for Londoners today, while enabling the area's future growth".

Why It Matters Beyond London

Outside the capital, the direction of travel has been towards more public control of buses. Greater Manchester has completed its move to franchising under the Bee Network, and Liverpool City Region has begun its own rollout in St Helens. In the West Midlands, the combined authority has agreed to buy National Express West Midlands.

London has effectively had a franchised system for decades. Buses for London goes a step further, giving TfL a say not just in which routes run but in who runs them.

The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, said:

"I'm excited to announce 'Buses for London', a publicly owned London bus company. TfL and OPDC will join forces in this innovative new partnership to establish the capital's first publicly owned bus operating company.

"This is an opportunity to really reimagine our bus network so that it provides better value for money, supports our climate goals, makes our roads safer, and overall just works better for passengers and drivers alike."

The Wider Picture

The announcement comes alongside other changes to London's buses. The Superloop express network around outer London has expanded with the new SL12 between Gants Hill and Rainham. There are also new bus priority measures, next-generation shelters and improved real-time information.

TfL now has more than 3,000 zero-emission buses in service, up from the 2,000 milestone reached last year. Operators are electrifying depots to match, as Arriva did with its £17m Norwood project.

Further details on London's bus network are available on the TfL website.