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Route 6 to become TfL’s first directly run bus under Buses for London
Four more routes will follow from 2028. The new company will start out at Park Royal Depot in west London with around 100 zero-emission buses.
Key facts
- Route 6 between Willesden and Victoria will be the first Buses for London route, from late 2027
- Four more routes will be announced over the next year and are due to start from 2028
- About 700 London bus routes are currently contracted out to eight private operators
- Park Royal Depot will be the first base, with around 100 zero-emission buses, on a lease running to 2033
Transport for London is setting up a publicly owned bus company called Buses for London. Its first service will be route 6 between Willesden and Victoria, from late 2027.
TfL said four more routes will be named over the next year and are due to start from 2028. At the moment, each of London’s roughly 700 bus routes is run under contract by one of eight private operators. Private firms bid to TfL for these franchised services, and each contract lasts seven years.
Why TfL is starting its own bus company
TfL said that running routes itself would give it more control over reliability and safety, and would let it put profits back into the transport network. According to TfL, the plans followed discussions with Unite. It said the union has campaigned for publicly owned buses for many years.
Mayor of London Lord Khan called the move “an opportunity to really reimagine our bus network so that it provides better value for money”. TfL’s director of buses, Lorna Murphy, described it as an important first step in testing how a publicly owned company could support the capital’s transport network.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called the announcement “a positive step”. She said the union would work to make sure Buses for London offers well-paid, unionised jobs with good conditions.
Park Royal depot for zero-emission buses
Buses for London will operate out of Park Royal Depot at first. Around 100 zero-emission buses will be kept there to begin with. TfL holds a lease on the west London site until 2033. After that, the land is earmarked for redevelopment under the Old Oak regeneration plans.
The fleet will need a permanent depot before the lease runs out. TfL said it would search for one together with OPDC, the development corporation responsible for the Old Oak and Park Royal area. Matthew Carpen, OPDC’s chief executive, described the bus depot as a temporary use of the site. He said the land would later be freed up for homes and employment space.
Key questions
When will TfL start running its own buses?
From late 2027, starting with route 6 between Willesden and Victoria under the Buses for London name.
Which other routes will Buses for London run?
Four more routes are due to be announced over the next year. They are expected to start from 2028.
Where will the Buses for London fleet be based?
At Park Royal Depot in west London, which TfL has leased until 2033. TfL plans to find a permanent depot with OPDC, the area's development corporation, before the lease ends.
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