Route 6 is going public

TfL's new publicly owned bus company. It will run some of London's bus routes itself, starting with route 6. Read TfL's announcement.

Route 6, between Willesden Bus Garage and Victoria station, comes first, from late 2027. TfL will name four more routes in the year after its September 2026 announcement, to start running from 2028.

First Bus's newsletter says routes 79 and 220 will be among them, with start dates in 2028. TfL's tender awards show their current contracts ending in December 2028 (79) and October 2028 (220). Read the forum post

Metroline's chief executive has told staff that TfL advised it route 460 will follow when its contract comes up in 2028. TfL's tender awards show that contract ending in June 2028. Metroline says Buses for London will run five routes in all, two of them currently Metroline's (6 and 460), and that TfL won't end any existing contracts early.

Buses for London is also suspected to run SL13, the proposed Superloop express route between Hendon and Ealing Broadway, though TfL hasn't said so. TfL consulted on SL13 in 2025 and hasn't yet decided whether it goes ahead. Read TfL's SL13 consultation

TfL contracts almost 700 routes to eight private operators, which bid to run them. According to Unite, contracts generally last seven years and pay operators a set income that depends on performance. Unite also says City Hall spends almost £1.2 billion a year subsidising the network.

TfL says running routes itself gives it more control over reliability and safety, lets it reinvest profits in the network, and lets it try new approaches to safety, zero-emission buses, customer experience and driver welfare.

Unite, the union for London's bus workers, welcomed the plan and worked with TfL and the Mayor's office on it. It sees Buses for London as a first step towards a fully public bus service, and wants it to lead on drivers' pay and conditions. Read Unite's statement.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport, the bus operators' trade body, opposes the plan. It says passengers don't need a new public operator, and that tackling congestion and giving buses priority would do more, as London's buses average 9mph whoever runs them. It also says the uncertainty could make private operators less willing to invest, shifting costs to taxpayers. Read routeone's report.

Park Royal Depot, London NW10 6DN (view on a map), leased to TfL until 2033 under an agreement with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation. It will be electrified and will initially support around 100 zero-emission buses. TfL and the development corporation will find a permanent site before the lease ends.

Route 6 stays part of the TfL network, so Oyster, contactless and the Hopper fare are expected to work as they do today. Frequencies are set by TfL. Current prices are on TfL's fares pages.

No. This is an independent information site. Live route data comes from the open TfL Unified API; this site is not endorsed by TfL. For official information, go to tfl.gov.uk.