Society news

This page gives up-to-date major news items to supplement our monthly newsletter, •The London Bus• (TLB). Items noted here will be incorporated in the next issue of TLB in greater detail. Reports more than a month old and already reported in TLB are deleted. Each issue of TLB is typically 40 pages containing references to around 300 routes and 1000 vehicles, together with the business and political news, the publicity output of the companies, forthcoming exhibitions and rallies, and much more. To get the full picture, why not join now? Go to the Membership Page for details.

If you need to contact us with anything to do with membership, subscriptions to TLB or LBM and queries over postal sales, email lotsmemsec@gmail.com and it will be passed to the correct person. Reports for TLB/LBM or queries to other society officers can go via the TLB Editor lotstlbeditor@gmail.com and it will be passed to the correct person.

For queries about Postal Sales, please email lotspostalsales@gmail.com. This E mail address may also be used for ordering from Postal Sales if wishing to pay by direct debit bank transfer - for details see Page 1 of the Sales Bulletin.

Meetings

We meet at The Gallery at Alan Baxter, 77 Cowcross Street, Farringdon. A three minute walk from Farringdon Station (Met/Circle/H&C lines, Elizabeth line and Thameslink). Exit from Farringdon station (Met side), turn east and go up Cowcross Street until you reach the Leon restaurant. Opposite there is a passageway, cross the cobbled courtyard to the far right corner and go down the stairs to the basement meeting room known as 'The Gallery'. We would advise that you do not drive to the venue, parking space is rare and charges apply for 24 hours. There are several coffee shops and a Wetherspoons on Farringdon Road.

Doors open at 6pm, meetings start at 6.30pm and finish at 8pm, then Q&As and sales stand but all out by 9pm when the venue is locked.

Next meetings:
29 September: "The Road to the North – E17 to SK10". A photo show by Russell Young covering early London tendering and Russell's early TfL career and involvement with Blue Triangle.
24 November: "Getting Fastrack Moving – My part in the mobilisation. A presentation by Ben Knowles of Go-Ahead.

The London Bus (TLB)

New and recent LOTS publications

For queries about Postal Sales, please email lotspostalsales@gmail.com. This email address may also be used for ordering from Postal Sales if wishing to pay by direct debit bank transfer - for details see Page 1 of the Sales list.

Please address your orders to LOTS Postal Sales, Lombard Business Park, 8 Lombard Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 3TZ. Orders are processed weekly. Make sure that the 'Postal Sales' name is included prominently, so we can give your order our best attention. You can use the Sales List printed off from this website this list to order, or a letter is perfectly acceptable. In either case, please don’t staple cheques to the form.

NEW London Bus Magazine No 213, Autumn 2025)  (£6.00).
Including articles on London Transport Blind Design and Merlins in Ulster.

NEW SUP-45C London Bus Garages Allocation and Routes (£6.50).
List of all London bus garages with route and bus allocations as at 1 September 2025. 60 pages with 8 colour photos.

SUP-46A London Transport Trolleybuses - Allocations and Disposals 1948-1962 (free digital download). Allocation histories and disposals for all LT trolleybuses. 102 pages.

SUP-47A London’s Advert Buses 1969-2024 (£8.00).
All known all-over advert buses in the London area (not London Country). Over 1000 buses and over 4000 adverts listed, with dates. 76 pages, 18 colour photos.
View sample pages.

NEW SUP-48A Country Area Bus Route Directory - Part 1: North and East (£7.50).
NEW SUP-49A Country Area Bus Route Directory - Part 2: South and West (£7.50).
SUPs 48A and 49A together list all bus routes in our 'country' area, showing the main points served, the operator/s, days/times of operation and basic frequencies. There is also an overview of each of the operators covered. Correct to 1st September. A5, 52 pages (part 1) or 60 pages (part 2), each 8 colour photos.

See the Publications page for details of LOTS publications or the Sales Bulletin on the Sales page for our current stocklist.
SUPs 45C, 48A and 49A are expected to be first available at Catford Garage Open Day on 11 September.

Vacancies

LOTS requires a new sub-editor (or perhaps two) to cover the Current Vehicle News section in TLB. Please e-mail lotstlbeditor@gmail.com if you think you may be interested in helping out.

Non-members may wish to look at a sample issue of TLB.
Hopefully this will whet your appetite for joining LOTS!

Industry and general news

Major news items to supplement our monthly newsletter:

Thursday 2 October

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

Route 81 will initially be operated by existing hybrids.

The hybrid vehicles detailed above will meet Euro VI emissions standards. 

The start and end dates for the above contracts are detailed in the following table:

Friday 19 September

Apologies for the lack of updates recently.

1. Go-Ahead has started using DEL-class StreetDeck Electroliners from Bexleyheath (BX), with 6 in use so far, initially on route 401 but now also spreading to the 99 and 269. Many more DELs have been delivered and are in store at various locations.

2. Metroline has also put more StreetDecks into service, converting routes 266 (W, using WDE3139-3163) and 98 (AC, using WDE3112-3128 that were originally intended for route E8). The 266 conversion has released VMH hybrids, which are now moving to Lampton (SG) for route 81.

3. Eleven of the 32 SEO-class AD E100EVs ordered by Go-Ahead have now been put into service at Orpington (MB), primarily on route 233 with a few appearances on route R8. Routes R1, R3 and R4 should follow soon.

4. Arriva London has now put 40 ES-class StreetDecks into service at Tottenham (AR), converting route 243 and part of route 341. These routes (plus the 41) had been due to get EZ-class Volvo/MCVs, which have been delayed, and the ES buses being used are those intended for south London routes 50, 194, 250 and 289.

5. Transport UK put new Kite Electroliners 1738-1742 into service at Walworth (WL) on routes C10 and P5, although they had been expected to go to Battersea (QB) for the 485. The latter route started using newer Kites 1301-1305 from 19th Sept.

6. Arriva London has put a few ED-class BYD B11E02s into service from Palmers Green (AD) on routes 34 and 141, plus just one (ED34) on Superloop SL1.

7. Go-Ahead is also taking more BYD B11E02s, with six (of 25 ordered) now in service on route 188 (Q).

8. At the Catford Garage open day on 13th September, Stagecoach London E40D 11011 was unveiled in a new 'retro' livery. It carries late-1980s LBL 'tape-grey' livery, and even has suitable orange/brown seating moquette.

9. All nine of the E400EVs ordered for Stagecoach London route 287 from Rainham (RM) (80418-80426) are now in use from Bromley (TB), primarily on school routes but also appearing on routes 61, 261 and SL3. New StreetDecks 82145-82171 are expected soon for the 61 and 261.

10. Go-Ahead London will be starting a new operation under the 'Kent Country' brand to work route 477 between Dartford and Orpington from 26th October. This follows Arriva's decision to withdraw the route. The route will be run from the Fastrack depot in Dartford, although details of vehicles and livery are not yet known.

Friday 12 September

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

Routes E9 and SL8 will initially be operated by existing hybrids.

The diesel and hybrid vehicles detailed above will meet Euro VI emissions standards. 

The start and end dates for the above contracts are detailed in the following table:

Wednesday 10 September

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

New electric vehicles may enter service after the contract start date, dependent on infrastructure and/ or vehicle delivery timescales.

The diesel vehicle detailed above will meet Euro VI emissions standards. 

The start and end dates for the above contracts are detailed in the following table:

* Seven-year contract term..

* Current route 472 (24h) will be restructured as routes SL11 and N472 in early 2026 on a date yet to be confirmed.

Coming events

4 October
Theydon Bois Transport Bazaar, Theydon Bois Village Hall (opposite village green) CM16 7ER. 10.00 to 15.00.

19 October
Transport Fest 2025 at the London Bus Museum.

1 November
Aldenham Transport Spectacular, Allum Hall, 2 Allum Lane, Elstree & Borehamwood, WD6 3PJ. Open 10.00 - 16.00hrs. Information: www.facebook.com/aldenhamtransportspectacular. (LSS)

2 November
Muswell Hill running day raising money for The Poppy Appeal. Vintage buses running on part of routes 43,102, 210, 299, W7("212"). Contact 0795 652 8474 for information.

15 November
Classic bus on route 252 raising money for The Royal British Legion.

16 November
Camden Town Running Day raising money for Children in Need. Vintage buses operating on part of routes 1, 24, 31, 134, 214, 253. Contact 0795 652 8474 for information.

16 November
"Reading Runabout" event organised by The Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust.

29 November
Classic bus on route 103 raising money for Children in Need.

6 December
Zero2 Bus Museum opens in Great Yeldham.

A national event list can be found here.