New Routemaster
Abellio London New Routemaster on Route 159 in November 2022
Overview
ManufacturerWrightbus
Production2011–2017
1,000 units produced
Body and chassis
Doors3 doors
Floor typeLow-floor
Powertrain
EngineCummins ISBe 4.5 (euro spec)
4-cylinder, 4.5 L (270 cu in), 185 hp (138 kW) Euro V compliant[1][2]
Capacity80 (87 without wheelchair) (lower: 22 seats, 1 wheelchair space, 18 standing (25 standing without wheelchair); upper deck: 40 seats)
TransmissionDiesel in series
18 kWh[3] Microvast Lithium Titanate battery, Microvast LpTO,[4] Siemens ELFA2[5] electric traction motor[6]
Dimensions
Length11.23 m (36 ft 10+1⁄8 in)[5]
Width2.52 m (8 ft 3+1⁄4 in)
Height4.39 m (14 ft 4+7⁄8 in)
Curb weight12.65 t (12.45 long tons; 13.94 short tons)
Chronology
PredecessorAEC Routemaster (spiritual)
SuccessorWright SRM
This article is part of
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Boris Johnson
Mayor of London
European Union referendum
Foreign Secretary
Party leadership campaigns
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
First ministry and term
Second ministry and term
Bibliography
In popular culture

Boris Johnson's signature

The New Routemaster, originally referred to as the New Bus for London and colloquially as the Borismaster or Boris Bus, is a low-floor diesel double-decker bus operated in London, England. Designed by Heatherwick Studio and manufactured by Wrightbus, it is notable for featuring a "hop-on hop-off" rear open platform similar to the original Routemaster bus design but updated to meet requirements for modern buses to be fully accessible. It first entered service in February 2012.

The original AEC Routemaster was used as the standard London bus type, with a rear open platform and crewed by both a driver and conductor. After half a century it was withdrawn from service at the end of 2005 (except for two heritage routes which operated until 2014 and 2019 respectively), in favour of a fully accessible one-man-operated modern fleet (including articulated buses), none of which featured a rear open platform. The withdrawal of the Routemaster became an issue during the 2008 London mayoral election with Boris Johnson elected mayor with a campaign pledge to introduce a new Routemaster. Following an open design competition in 2008, Wrightbus was awarded the contract to build the bus at the end of 2009, and the final design was announced in May 2010.

The design for the new double-decker bus was inspired by the original AEC Routemaster and features three doors and two staircases to allow accessible boarding. Unlike the AEC Routemaster, the new bus has a full front end rather than the protruding, bonneted "half cab" design, and a rear platform with a door that can be closed, rather than being permanently open. The layout of the new bus allows it to be operated by the driver alone. The cost of each bus was £355,000 over the four-year procurement period.[7] The last of the 1,000 New Routemasters was delivered in December 2017.

Configuration

Passengers alighting from the rear platform in 2012
Curved rear as inspired by AEC Routemaster

The final design has doors at the front, centre and rear.[8] The front and rear doors lead to staircases to the upper deck. The rear entrance initially had a platform and pole similar to the original Routemaster, with a door kept open for hop-on, hop-off operation when a conductor was on board. Readers for the contactless Oyster card used for payment for transport in London are provided at each of the three boarding points. Other types of tickets must be presented to the driver. This applied even when a conductor was on board, as the conductors did not take fares or check tickets.

There is a new pattern of moquette for the seating, manufactured by Camira Fabrics.[9] The internal lighting is provided by LED clusters, and there is a climate-controlled ventilation system. There is a system to display text and provide audio announcements via loudspeakers, and T-loop for users of hearing aids;[10] the information typically includes the route number, destination, name of the next stop and that the bus is stopping.

The bus is a hybrid diesel-electric driven by a battery-powered electric motor, charged by a diesel fuelled generator and recovering energy during braking by regenerative braking.[11]

In 2020, Transport for London announced that the New Routemasters would be converted so passengers only enter by the front door, with the middle and rear doors becoming exit-only. This was done to reduce fare evasion, which had been double that of other London buses.[12]

Background

Original Routemaster in London

Boris Johnson with a model of an original AEC Routemaster bearing a political slogan during his 2008 London mayoral campaign

Designed for and largely operated in London, over 2,800 AEC Routemasters were built between 1956 and 1968, with a design so robust that the Routemaster outlasted newer buses intended to replace it, remaining in use until 2005, well into the deregulated era.

From 31 December 2000, it became mandatory for all new buses delivered in the UK to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, leading to the development of the wheelchair-accessible low-floor bus. Older buses were allowed to continue operating in London until 23 October 2009, and in the rest of the United Kingdom until 22 October 2014.bThrough the TfL contract renewal process, after 2000, the Routemaster began to be identified as the most common example of a non-wheelchair-accessible bus type used on TfL routes.

The first Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, supported the Routemaster during his first (2000–2004) term, indicating the type would be retained in a limited capacity on contract renewals as before. He also promised to convert the whole London bus fleet to low-floor with an original targeted timeline of 23 October 2009, which then was pushed earlier to 1 January 2006, requiring the withdrawal of the Routemaster from London. Contributory factors to the withdrawal were said to be the risk of litigation over accidents arising from using the rear platform, the cost savings of one-person operation and the fact that passengers preferred the comfort levels of modern buses to the vintage Routemaster. Livingstone said that the Routemasters were too dangerous, with approximately twelve people per year dying after falling from them during his mayoralty.[13] The last examples were withdrawn from regular London passenger service in December 2005.[14]

The Routemaster continued in operation on heritage routes 9 and 15, with the former discontinued in July 2014. The heritage routes, shorter than the full 9 and 15 routes, were awarded as tendered routes by TfL and did not contravene the TfL accessible public transport policy requirement, as frequent wheelchair-accessible buses also operate on these routes. The provision of Routemaster buses was drastically curtailed on 2 March 2019 to availability on weekends only for 60 days a year.[15] As of 2021, the heritage routes with Routemaster are withdrawn.[16]

FRM and XRM

The front-entrance Routemaster prototype FRM1

An attempt to design a rear-engined front-entrance version of the Routemaster in 1964/65 led to the construction of the FRM1 (front-entrance Routemaster) in 1966. The prototype shared approximately 60% of its components with a standard Routemaster and was the first integrally-constructed rear-engined double-decker built in Britain.[17] Because of its single door (a serious drawback for a bus of this capacity) and continued mechanical problems associated with its unique design, the FRM was considered a dead end although it provided proof of concept.[18][19]

In 1968, London Transport went back to the drawing board for another replacement of the Routemaster, with an anticipated introduction date of 1985. The initial result was a four-axle low-floor design that would have been suitable for automatic fare collection. By 1975, the project was well in hand and had been named XRM (Experimental Route Master). Features of the new design included a side-mounted engine for maximum flexibility in door and seating layout and hydraulic drive to four small-wheeled axles for the lowest possible floor. Experiments in the mid-1970s yielded disappointing results, and in 1978, the XRM morphed into a more conventional-looking vehicle but with the rear door behind the rear axle. Other proposed features were LPG fuel and hydraulic suspension to lower the floor at stops. XRM design work was cancelled in September 1980, as it was calculated that it would cost £153m to build 2,500 new XRMs but only £13.5m to overhaul 2,700 Routemasters.[19][20] London Transport had, by then, committed heavily to the Leyland Titan, to which they had significant design input and it was regarded as a more viable option.

A decade later, London Transport once again looked for a replacement. In 1989, designs were solicited from Dennis Bus, Alexander and Northern Counties. The style specified was a rear-entrance half-cab layout identical to the original Routemaster, but by now, it was considered obsolete elsewhere in Britain.[19]

In 1999, London Transport received an unsolicited design from its former vehicle engineering manager, Colin Curtis, who had overseen the design of the Routemaster. Dubbed the Q Master, it found little favour within London Transport and by manufacturers that Curtis approached. Transport for London announced that it would look at developing a Routemaster replacement, but the project was confirmed as dead in June 2003.[19][21]

Design

Initial Capoco proposal

On 3 September 2007 the Conservative mayoral candidate for London, Boris Johnson, announced that he was contemplating introducing a modern-day Routemaster. In December 2007, the UK automotive magazine Autocar commissioned the bus designer Capoco, designer of the innovative Optare Solo, to come up with detailed proposals for a new-generation Routemaster.[22] Their design, dubbed the RMXL, was a hybrid technology low-floor bus with a lightweight aluminium space frame, with four more seats and twice the standing capacity of the old Routemaster, and operated solely by a driver.

The design incorporated disabled access through a closing front door behind the front wheels while retaining open platform rear access, with the staircase still at the rear. The hybrid drivetrain had a front-mounted continuous-revving hydrogenised petrol engine; this charged front-mounted batteries, which powered the rear wheels through rear-mounted electric motors. This arrangement, through not requiring a mechanical transmission, allowed for a low floor and a step-free entrance into the lower deck from the rear platform.

Hydrogen storage tanks would be located under the rear staircase. The design was covered by the national press but attracted criticism from Livingstone as being too costly to justify and still not safe, despite proposals to monitor the rear platform with cameras.[23]

New Bus for London competition

Johnson backed the Autocar / Capoco design in principle and suggested that he would hold a formal design competition to develop a new Routemaster if he was elected London mayor in May 2008. After winning, on 4 July 2008 Johnson announced the New Bus for London competition.

An initiative of Transport for London, the competition invited anybody, both companies and members of the public, to submit ideas for consideration. The competition had two categories, an Imagine category for general ideas and concepts, and a Design category, for more detailed proposals. In both categories, entries could be either "whole bus" submissions, or proposals for parts of the bus.

The Imagine category called for the submission of imaginative ideas for a red double-decker bus with a rear open platform, and one other entrance/exit with doors.[24] The Design category called for detailed designs of a low floor red double-decker bus with at least one internal staircase, a rear open platform, and one other entrance/exit with doors, to be crewed by a driver and conductor, and suitable for carrying 72 passengers seated and standing. The designs were required to satisfy a table of mandatory and suggested design specifications, and "be practical and economic and capable of being put into mass production".[25][26] The competition offered cash prizes for entrants, with £25,000 for the winner, and smaller awards for good ideas.

One initial set of proposals gained media attention after being unveiled during October 2008, for a "smiley bus" known as the H4 (designed by the H4 Group).[27] Future Systems offered a "space age" alternative powered by hydrogen.[28] Foster + Partners submitted a glass-roofed design.[29] The winners were announced on 19 December 2008. There were 225 entries in the Design category, and 475 entries in the Imagine category[30]

The £25,000 prize for winning the whole bus Design category was shared between two entries, one from Capoco Design, a bus, coach and truck design firm, and one from a joint submission made by architects Foster + Partners and automotive company Aston Martin.[31]

Tendering process & final design

Rear spiral staircase

The winning and other merited entrants in both the Imagine and Design categories for both 'whole bus' submission and part submissions were passed by TfL to bus manufacturers, for them to draw up detailed final designs meeting all relevant legislation, and later presented to TfL for consideration on a competitive-tender basis.[32] By April 2009, a formal invitation to express interest in the project was published in the Official Journal of the European Union.[33]

In May 2009, six manufacturers were invited to negotiate the contract to design and build the new bus.[34] They were Alexander Dennis, EvoBus (which includes Mercedes-Benz), Hispano Carrocera, Optare, Scania and Wrightbus, having all met TfL's criteria for pre-qualification for tendering, which included demonstrating they had a manufacturing capacity of building 600 buses over three years. Volvo Buses declined to enter the bidding process. Transport for London set a deadline of 14 August for the submission of detailed tenders; Scania and Evobus pulled out before this deadline. Scania did not believe they could produce the first prototype in the time stipulated, and Evobus had concerns as they were not at the time manufacturing any double-decker.[35]

On 23 December 2009, Northern Ireland-based vehicle manufacturer Wrightbus was awarded the contract to build the Future Routemaster.[36] The contract called for a bus with a capacity for at least 87 passengers, two staircases, three doors, and a rear platform which could be left open, or closed with a door when there was no conductor on board.[36] The bus would be a hybrid, utilising technology to make it 40% more fuel-efficient than conventional diesel buses, and 15% more than London hybrid buses already in operation, reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by 40% and particulate matter by 33% compared with diesel buses.[34]

On 17 May 2010, the final design was unveiled by Wrightbus, with asymmetric glass swoops as its signature "futuristic" styling feature.[37] Transport for London and Wrightbus worked with Heatherwick Studio to produce the styling for Wrightbus' final design. TfL has applied to the Intellectual Property Office for Registered Design Protection for the exterior design.[38]

The body has two diagonal glass windows from top to bottom decks, one curving around the rear, the other on the right-hand side towards the front, which provides natural light to the interiors of both staircases. The rear staircase is in the same position as in the original Routemaster, curving around the rear section, while the front staircase is straight, ascending on the right-hand side of the chassis over the driver's cab, opening out in the front of the upper deck.[38]

The bus is certified to EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval and ECE Regulation 107, according to the manufacturers.

The use of three doors and two staircases is not new to London: London Transport evaluated a prototype bus in the 1980s as part of the Alternative Vehicle Evaluation programme: a specially modified Volvo Ailsa B55 with two staircases. These trials were curtailed due to the running-down and eventual closure of London Transport's bus Engineering Research department.

Production

London United New Routemaster painted in red and silver livery to promote the "Year of the Bus" on route 10 in London in July 2014

A static mockup was unveiled at Acton depot on 11 November 2010:[39] the first engineering prototype was driven by Boris Johnson at a public demonstration on 27 May 2011.[40][41] The first working prototype was unveiled in December 2011 and driven from City Hall to Trafalgar Square. Within days of its unveiling, the first prototype was reported to have broken down on the M1 motorway north of London,[42] but this was due to human error; it had run out of fuel. The first new bus (fleet number LT 2) entered service with Arriva London on 27 February 2012, on route 38.[43] During the 2012 London mayoral election, former Mayor of London and Labour candidate Ken Livingstone said that, if elected, he would buy no more New Buses for London because of the price.[44] However, Boris Johnson won the election and in September 2012 approved the order for 600 of the new buses, with public funding required estimated at £160 million.[45][46][47] The prototypes remain in service on route 38. The eight prototypes were registered on GB registration plates. A block series of Northern Ireland plates in the LTZ 1xxx series was reserved for the production examples with the xxx correlating with the fleet number. The prototypes were reregistered.[48]

A New Routemaster at Hammersmith bus station in October 2013

The first 272 were delivered with Euro 5 engines except for six, which were fitted with trial Euro 6 engines.[49] The remaining deliveries received Euro 6 engines.[50] In 2014, a further 200 were ordered taking the total to 808.[51] This was later cut back to 805. In January 2016, an additional order was placed, bringing the total to 1,000.[52]

In June 2015 The Guardian reported that the rear door design had been changed, so the door could not be opened between stops, and the platform pole removed, abandoning the original "hop-on, hop-off" open platform design objective.[53][54] One (ST812) was built to a shorter wheelbase of 10.1 metres with an eight-seat seat reduction instead of the normal 11.3 metres, entering service in 2016 with Metroline on route 91.[55]

At the end of 2016, it was announced that London Mayor Sadiq Khan had discontinued procurement of the vehicles to save money and help pay for a promised four-year public transport fares freeze.[56] No new Routemaster buses will be purchased for London, the funds instead going towards upgrading the city's existing fleet with the latest sustainable technologies.[57]

Demonstrations

LT3 in Singapore in February 2014

In May 2013, LT1 and LT2 were loaned to the UK government to take part in a global trade mission covering 16 countries in four continents over 12 months.[58] In October 2013, LT3 was sent on a demonstration tour to Hong Kong and then to Singapore in February 2014.[59] As at August 2014, LT1 was stored in Abu Dhabi pending a decision on the future of the programme while the other two had returned to England.[60]

In August 2014, LT2 commenced a six-month trial with First West Yorkshire. It was repainted green, branded as the New Bus for West Yorkshire.[61] The bus was displayed at numerous industry and bus enthusiasts' events, but it ultimately never saw public service in West Yorkshire and was returned in London in 2015; the green livery was later modified to form the basis of a London Country Bus Services retro livery, one of several heritage schemes carried by New Routemasters since their introduction.

In November 2014, Stagecoach Strathtay commenced a three-month trial of a pair of New Routemasters in Dundee. Buses LT312 and LT313 were used daily on the conductor-operated route 'Tayway 73' from Arbroath to Ninewells Hospital.[62][63] The Stagecoach Strathtay trial ended early in mid-December 2014, after the two vehicles proved incapable of running to the timetable and suffered a series of high-profile breakdowns in service.[64]

Operation

As of March 2021, 1,000 New Routemasters are under TfL operation, which represents one-ninth of the total fleet.[65]

Current routes

New Routemasters currently run on the following routes:[66]

Route Operator Peak vehicle requirement Introduction date
3 Abellio London 22 8 February 2016[66]
8 Stagecoach London 30 28 June 2014[67]
9 London United 22 26 October 2013[68]
11 London General 25 21 September 2013[69]
12 London Central 36 28 March 2015[70]
15 Blue Triangle 24 28 February 2015[71]
16 Metroline 18 26 September 2015[66]
19 Arriva London 28 5 October 2019[72]
21 London Central 27 5 December 2016
24 Abellio London 27 22 June 2013[73]
27 Abellio London 22 24 November 2018[74]
38 Arriva London 59 10 May 2014[67]
55 Stagecoach London 35 28 February 2015[71]
59 Arriva London 26 22 March 2016[75]
67 London General 12 15 June 2019[76]
68 Abellio London 24 6 February 2016[77]
73 Arriva London 53 14 May 2015[78]
76 London General 25 25 March 2017[79]
87 London General 22 30 March 2019[80]
137 Arriva London 31 2 December 2014[81]
148 London United 25 15 February 2014[82]
149 Arriva London 38 13 October 2015[83]
159 Abellio London 34 12 December 2015[84]
168 Metroline 22 10 December 2015[66]
176 London Central 22 7 November 2021
189 Metroline 20 30 August 2016[66]
211 London United 20 4 June 2016[66]
248 Arriva London 15 24 September 2022[85]
253 Arriva London 32 20 October 2016[86]
254 Arriva London 33 3 June 2017[87]
267 Abellio London 17 7 November 2017[88]
313 Arriva London 8 4 October 2020[89]
390 Metroline 22 7 December 2013[90]
415 Abellio London 10 30 July 2018[91]
453 London Central 35 18 October 2014[92]
EL1 Blue Triangle 17 18 February 2017[79]
EL2 Blue Triangle 15 18 February 2017[79]
EL3 Blue Triangle 14 18 February 2017[79]
H32 London United 8 28 August 2021[93]
N3 Abellio London 13 8 February 2016[66]
N8 Stagecoach London 21 28 June 2014[67]
N9 London United 18 26 January 2019[94]
N11 London General 7 31 October 2015[95]
N15 Blue Triangle 23 26 August 2017
N16 Metroline 6 8 October 2016[66]
N19 Arriva London 8 5 October 2019[72]
N38 Arriva London 26 10 May 2014[67]
N55 Stagecoach London 12 28 February 2015[71]
N73 Arriva London 13 14 May 2015 [78]
N87 London General 13 30 March 2019[80]
N253 Arriva London 13 20 October 2016[86]

Former routes

New Routemasters previously operated on the following routes.

Route Last operator Peak vehicle requirement NRMs introduced NRMs withdrawn
10 London United 23 26 April 2014[96] 23 November 2018[74]
48 Arriva London 22 25 February 2017[97] 12 October 2019[98]
88 London General 23 24 August 2015[66] 29 March 2019[80]
91 Metroline 21 9 May 2016[55] November 2021[99]
111 Abellio London 24 28 August 2021 2023

In November 2018, route 10 was withdrawn and its New Routemaster buses were transferred to route 27.[74] In March 2019, route 88 was restructured and its New Routemaster buses were transferred to route 87.[80] On 11 October 2019, route 48 was withdrawn.[98] Route 91's New Routemaster buses were transferred to Routes 17 and 332.[99]

Daily operation

When in one-person operation, the driver operates all three doors. When in two-person operation, a conductor stood on the rear platform and that door stayed open even while the bus was moving. At stops, the conductor pressed a button to inform the driver that the platform was clear; the driver operated the other two doors as was done for one-person operation.[100]

A New Routemaster with retrofitted top-deck windows in June 2016

Only routes 9, 10, 11, 24, 38 and 390 initially operated with an open rear platform and a conductor on board. The other routes did not operate with conductors from the start, and the rear platform remained closed while the bus was moving. In 2014, the TfL board was told that new routes would have no conductors and would operate with the rear door closed while moving.[101]

The annual cost of employing conductors from 06:00 to 19:00 on weekdays was about £62,000 per bus per year.[44] In July 2016, it was announced by TFL that the conductor would be phased out on all six previously crewed routes in September 2016.[102]

In August 2019, the middle and rear doors on New Routemasters on routes 8/N8 became exit-only with passengers now only able to board through the front door like on conventional double-decker buses.[103] In 2020 it was announced that conversion so passengers only enter by the front door would be made permanent on the entire fleet, to reduce fare evasion which had been double that on other buses.[53]

To address issues caused by air-conditioning failures, in September 2015 it was announced a programme would commence to retrofit opening windows.[104]

Mid-life developments

The Equipmake electrified New Routemaster prototype on display at the 2022 Euro Bus Expo

Entering the early 2020s, as the oldest New Routemasters began to approach ten years old and London bus operators began to commit more heavily to purchasing only electric buses, there were considerations regarding what should be done with the New Routemaster fleet moving forward. A number of older New Routemasters underwent an internal refresh during this time, being fitted with new seats and refreshed seat moquette.

At the Euro Bus Expo in November 2022, Norfolk-based electric vehicle manufacturer Equipmake unveiled the first electric vehicle conversion for the New Routemaster, with Metroline-operated vehicle LT11 on display at the event with its hybrid propulsion system having been removed and replaced by Equipmake fully-electric motors and a 400kWh battery.[105] The Equipmake New Routemaster electrification programme may allow the New Routemaster fleet to have a longer service life in London, as conversion of these vehicles to fully-electric will provide a cheaper alternative to purchasing replacement brand new electric buses.[106]

Ownership

Under the bus contract tendering system for London, routes are often updated with new buses every five to seven years, with new buses owned or leased by the operator, whether the route operator changes or not. Older buses often go on to further use outside London, either cascaded within the fleets of the large national operators who own several of the London operating companies or sold to other regional companies. An exception is the New Routemaster. New Routemaster is only exclusive for London usage, so when the bus operator changes (like the cases of routes 15 and 24), the New Routemaster will continue to remain on the same route but different operator, but it will stay throughout the physical lifespan of New Routemaster.[107]

London transport commissioner Peter Hendy acknowledged in 2008 that there were economic challenges in requiring current private London bus operators to tender for routes if they required the outright purchase of the New Routemaster. He acknowledged it could lead to higher bids overall because a rear platform bus was unlikely to appeal to operators outside London and with the questionable applicability of hybrid technology to more rural operations.[108]

Culture and media

A London-themed Paddington Bear statue, featuring a New Routemaster Bus design as his suitcase

The launch of the design for the New Bus for London led to BBC One's The One Show airing a segment on 18 May 2010 reviewing the 100-year history of the London standard double-decker, with John Sergeant reviewing the history of, and riding preserved examples of, the 1910 LGOC B-type, the RT and the original AEC Routemaster.

Because of the close connection between British car magazine Autocar and New Routemaster, it was the subject of a road test in December 2011. The magazine said it was "the best in public transport", referring to the vehicle's hybrid drivetrain as "brilliant economy and an interior to die for".[109]

The New Routemaster was also road-tested by Top Gear's James May in an episode where it left London and drove to attractions such as Cheddar Gorge before returning to the capital to take part in a 'Best of British' vehicle celebration.[110]

Criticism

The New Routemaster has been criticised for the ineffectiveness of its air conditioning on hot days; the Mayor responded that the system was working as intended.[111][112]

The upper-deck windows have been criticised for being small, not giving comparable views to other bus models, and not letting in much light to the upper deck, making it "gloomy".[113]

Although London Buses' Director of Operations promised that all New Routemasters would be staffed by conductors and the rear platform would be open 12 hours a day,[114] when the buses were introduced on route 148, there was no second crew member and the rear platform was opened by the driver at bus stops only.[115]

In July 2015, the BBC reported a high level of battery failure, with 80 New Routemasters operating in diesel-only mode. 200 New Routemasters had at least some failing batteries, which would be replaced under warranty. An improved battery design was introduced.[53] The unavailability of the battery leaves the bus slow and with poor acceleration, in addition to producing pollution.[116]

Prior to 2017, some New Routemaster buses with faulty batteries emitted more harmful particles than the buses they replaced.[117] London mayoral candidate and transport writer Christian Wolmar, who first revealed problems with the New Routemasters, said in July 2015: "This is further evidence that this project was misconceived from the start ... It is no surprise the emissions are higher than those on conventional buses as the New Bus for London is not operating as designed. It is supposed to be powered by an electric motor, but instead is using its inefficient diesel engine that should, in normal conditions, be running at constant speed".[117]

In one-person operation, as is the case on all units at all times after an early period with a conductor, the hop-on/hop-off advantage of the platform is negated by the closed door. Additionally, as passengers can board by any door and touch their Oyster cards to the reader, there is significant fare evasion; the driver cannot check passenger compliance as with a single entry door. This reduces revenue, but an additional issue was identified by a bus driver in a letter to a newspaper: passenger numbers are measured by the number of fares paid, so they are much underestimated. Bus provision is curtailed or cut due to this perceived drop in passenger numbers; the writer identifies routes 10 and 48 as among those cut. It has been suggested that the back door and staircase will be sealed and the Oyster card readers removed at the back and centre, removing all the remaining "Routemaster" features of the bus.[118] Conversion so passengers only enter by the front door was announced in 2020.[53]

Accidents and incidents

The New Routemaster has been involved in several accidents and incidents:

  • In September 2013, three people were seriously injured when a New Routemaster on route 11 crashed into three other buses and some parked cars on Chelsea Bridge Road.[119]
  • In June 2014, the driver of a car going at 100 mph was killed, one person was critically injured and 12 were hurt when the car hit a New Routemaster on route N38.[120]
  • In April 2015, a car was wedged in between two New Routemasters on Goodge Street. The occupants of the car were treated at the scene.[121]
  • In January 2016, 13 people were injured when two New Routemasters on routes 11 and 148 collided with each other and hit a van in Parliament Square.[122]
  • On 27 December 2019, a New Routemaster caught fire in Kennington, while working route 59 to Euston.[123]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Borismaster or Saunamaster? Transport Engineer 2 July 2014
  2. ↑ Wrights Hybrid Wrightbus
  3. ↑ Your New Routemaster questions answered Cnet
  4. ↑ "Cell – Products". microvast.com.
  5. 1 2 "Spec sheet" (PDF).
  6. ↑ Siemens ELFA Drive System for Hybrid Electric Vehicles, 2011. Archived 2014-01-23 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ Tfl: Borismasters "will save millions". Bus & Coach Professional. 7 May 2013. Archived 7 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ Atkinson, Neil (6 August 2014). "Three-door London buses could hit Huddersfield streets". huddersfieldexaminer. Retrieved 8 January 2017. The buses have doors at the front, centre and rear.
  9. ↑ "All aboard the new Routemaster – it's big, red and made in Britain". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2017. Camira Fabrics, a textile manufacturer in West Yorkshire which employs around 600 people, has provided a durable red fabric referred to as "moquette" in the industry (French for carpet) for the Routemaster's seats.
  10. ↑ Transport for London. "New Routemaster". Transport for London. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017. There's also a T-Loop system which transmits announcements for passengers with hearing aids.
  11. ↑ "London's new hybrid Routemaster buses have major battery issues". Ars Technica UK. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  12. ↑ Topham, Gwyn (10 January 2020). "Fare-dodging forces closure of rear doors on New Routemaster bus". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  13. ↑ "Ken Livingstone: too many people died on Routemasters". ITV News.
  14. ↑ "Routemaster makes final journey". BBC News. 9 December 2005.
  15. ↑ "Routemaster Buses Will Not Run On Weekdays". Londonist. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  16. ↑ Lyons, Mark (9 April 2021). "TFL confirms heritage Routemasters won't return". Buses Magazine. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  17. ↑ Bowles, Lawrie (1984) [1977]. London Transport Buses (8th ed.). Harrow Weald, Middlesex: Capital Transport. pp. 34–35. ISBN 0-904711-54-4.
  18. ↑ Blacker, Ken (1995) [1991]. Routemaster: 1954–1969. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Harrow Weald, Middlesex: Capital Transport. pp. 134–139. ISBN 1-85414-178-3.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Blacker, Ken (2007). Routemaster: 1970–2005. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Harrow Weald, Middlesex: Capital Transport. pp. 42–43, 102–111. ISBN 978-1-85414-303-7.
  20. ↑ "XRM is ditched". Commercial Motor. 14 February 1981.
  21. ↑ "Routemaster: Transport of delight?". BBC News. 13 September 2002.
  22. ↑ Autocar re-invents the Routemaster Archived 12 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Autocar 19 December 2007
  23. ↑ "Green" Routemaster plan outlined BBC News 19 December 2007
  24. ↑ "Competition rules – A new bus for London, Imagine category" (PDF). Transport for London. n.d. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  25. ↑ "Competition rules – A new bus for London, Design category" (PDF). Transport for London. n.d. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  26. ↑ "Competition rules – A new bus for London, Vehicle Specification Guidelines" (PDF). Transport for London. n.d. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  27. ↑ Amar Singh (13 October 2008). "The Routemaster with a smile". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008.
  28. ↑ Staff Writer (8 January 2008). "Future Systems' London Routemaster bus". Building Design Online, The Architect's Website. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  29. ↑ Routemaster London Fosters + Partners
  30. ↑ "A new bus for London, The Winners" (PDF). Transport for London. n.d. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  31. ↑ "Aston Martin designs Routemaster". BBC News. 19 December 2008.
  32. ↑ "A New Bus for London – Next steps". Transport for London. n.d. Archived from the original on 24 December 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  33. ↑ Buses issue 649 April 2008
  34. 1 2 "Wrightbus to design and build New Bus for London" (Press release). Transport for London. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  35. ↑ Buses issue 654 September 2009
  36. 1 2 "New Routemaster maker announced". BBC News. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  37. ↑ "London's 'new Routemaster' bus design unveiled". BBC News. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  38. 1 2 "Mayor unveils iconic final design for London's new bus" (Press release). Greater London Authority. 17 May 2010. Archived from the original on 20 May 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  39. ↑ "Model of new Routemaster London bus unveiled". BBC. 11 November 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  40. ↑ "Boris Johnson and the Routemaster: soft edges and cheerful demeanour". The Guardian. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  41. ↑ "Boris Johnson drives London's new bus" (Video). ITN. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  42. ↑ "New Routemaster Breaks Down Already! Photo". LBC. 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 5 January 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  43. ↑ "New Routemaster bus starts running on London roads". BBC News Online. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  44. 1 2 "Ken Livingstone vows to halt rollout of new Routemaster buses". The Guardian. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  45. ↑ metrowebukmetro (20 September 2012). "London to get 600 new 'Boris buses' – but taxpayers will foot the £160m bill". Metro News. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  46. ↑ New Bus for London Rollout Transport for London 20 September 2012
  47. ↑ "600 new buses by 2016". Transport for London. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  48. ↑ Curtis, Martin (2014). New Bus for London: The Inside Story. Kendal: Nostalgia Road Publications. p. 80. ISBN 978-1-908347-30-5.
  49. ↑ First Production Euro 6 New Routemasters Coach & Bus Week issue 1160 31 October 2014 page 9
  50. ↑ Carr, Ken (September 2014). The London Bus Guide (4 ed.). Boreham: Visions International Entertainment. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-0-9570058-6-0.
  51. ↑ TfL set to order 200 New Routemasters despite poor BCR Transport Xtra 31 October 2014
  52. ↑ London Routemaster Buses: Wrightbus set to get order worth £60m BBC News 3 February 2016
  53. 1 2 3 4 Hill, Dave (3 August 2015). "How the New Routemaster came full circle: back to a regular old London bus". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  54. ↑ Dave Hill (23 June 2015). "Boris's Bus (A Political Journey) Part 43: No More 'Hop On, Hop Off'?". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  55. 1 2 "Metroline" Buses issue 736 July 2016 page 73
  56. ↑ Boffey, Daniel (31 December 2016). "London's 'Boris bus' reaches end of road as Sadiq Khan halts purchases". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  57. ↑ Amy Frearson (3 January 2017). "London mayor stops orders for Thomas Heatherwick's Routemaster bus". Dezeen.com. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  58. ↑ Prince Harry and Prime Minister David Cameron launch GREAT Global Bus Tour Foreign & Commonwealth Office 14 May 2013
  59. ↑ KMB views Borismaster Archived 10 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach Professional 4 November 2013
  60. ↑ "Pause in Great campaign bus tours" Buses issue 714 September 2014 page 7
  61. ↑ "First steps up WYork campaign" Buses issue 714 September 2014 pages 6/7
  62. ↑ "New Routemaster trial for Dundee?" Buses issue 714 September 2014 page 7
  63. ↑ "All aboard! — Stagecoach's new Routemaster buses take to the road between Dundee and Arbroath". The Courier (Dundee). 4 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  64. ↑ Wilson, Alan (21 November 2014). "Stagecoach's Routemaster bus trial runs into some trouble". The Courier. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  65. ↑ https://content.tfl.gov.uk/fleet-annual-audit-report-31-march-2021.pdf
  66. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "New Routemaster". Transport for London. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  67. 1 2 3 4 Route 8 and 38 now served by New Routemaster buses Transport for London 2 July 2014
  68. ↑ Route 9 to be served by iconic New Bus for London from Saturday Transport for London 21 October 2013
  69. ↑ Second Borismaster route named Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach Professional 4 June 2013
  70. ↑ Route 12 to be served by New Routemaster buses Transport for London 8 April 2015
  71. 1 2 3 Route 55 and 15 to be served by New Routemaster buses Transport for London 26 January 2015
  72. 1 2 Short Hops Buses issue 76 November 2019 page 22
  73. ↑ Mayor announces first bus route to be fully served by iconic new bus for London fleet Transport for London 25 January 2013
  74. 1 2 3 Route 10 to go as TfL engages all-engines reverse Buses issue 764 November 2018 page 24
  75. ↑ Route 59 converts to New Routemasters Arriva London 23 March 2016
  76. ↑ LSBL confirms latest London bus routes to change hands Coach & Bus Week issue 1400 2 July 2019 page 7
  77. ↑ Route 68 now served by new Routemaster bus Transport for London 5 February 2016
  78. 1 2 Route 73 to be served by New Routemaster buses Transport for London 15 May 2015
  79. 1 2 3 4 "Blue Triangle and Arriva London North win new London tenders" Coach & Bus Week issue 1251 2 August 2016 page 7
  80. 1 2 3 4 Success for Go-Ahead Buses issue 752 November 2017 page 22
  81. ↑ Route 137 to be served by New Routemaster buses Transport for London 1 December 2014
  82. ↑ Routemasters running on route 148 Archived 18 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London 19 February 2014
  83. ↑ Route 149 now served by New Routemaster buses Transport for London 26 October 2015
  84. ↑ Route 159 now served by New Routemaster buses Transport for London 11 December 2015
  85. ↑ "Bus tender results - Transport for London". tfl.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  86. 1 2 "Arriva London's Route 253 converts to New Routemasters". Arriva London. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  87. ↑ Bus Service Changes 5 May to 16 June 2017 Transport for London 19 May 2017
  88. ↑ Last New Routemasters for route 267 Buses January 2018 page 24
  89. ↑ "New Routemasters reach Potters Bar". BusandTrainuser, October 2020. 9 October 2020.
  90. ↑ Route 390 to be served by New Routemasters from Saturday Transport for London 5 December 2013
  91. ↑ Short Hops Buses issue 763 October 2018 page 24
  92. ↑ New Routemaster buses on route 453 Transport for London 2 October 2014
  93. ↑ RATP shuffles fleet Buses issue 800 November 2021 page 22
  94. ↑ Short Hops Buses issue 768 March 2019 page 26
  95. ↑ Revised rear door arrangement on latest LTs Buses issue 725 August 2015 page 25
  96. ↑ Transport for London 24 April 2014
  97. ↑ Arriva London starts running TfL bus route 48 service this Saturday Arriva London 23 February 2017
  98. 1 2 Permanent Bus Changes Transport for London
  99. 1 2 "FOI request detail".
  100. ↑ "Revised rear door arrangement on latest LTs". Buses 725 (August 2015), p. 25
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  115. ↑ "No open platform when 'New Routemaster' buses come south of river". London SE1. 12 February 2014.
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  123. ↑ "Dramatic pictures show London bus ravaged by flames in Kennington". 27 December 2019.

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