List of bus routes in London
This is a list of Transport for London contracted bus routes in London, England, as well as non-TfL bus routes that enter Greater London.
TfL bus routes in London are operated by 7 operators. Those operators are: Arriva London, Go-Ahead London, Metroline, First Bus London, Stagecoach London, Transport UK London Bus and Uno.
Some non-TfL bus routes enter Greater London, and operate with a London Service Permit provided by TfL. Therefore, those routes are shown at TfL bus stops. Those non-TfL operators are: Arriva Herts & Essex, Carlone Limited, Carousel Buses, Diamond South East, Falcon Buses, First Berkshire & The Thames Valley, Go-Coach, Kent Country, Metrobus, NIBS Buses, Reading Buses, Red Eagle, Red Rose Travel, Reptons Coaches, Sullivan Buses, Thames Valley Buses, Uno and White Bus Services.
Classification of route numbers
In Victorian times, people who took the bus would recognise the owner and the route of an only by its livery and its line name, with painted signs on the sides showing the two termini to indicate the route. Then, in 1906, George Samuel Dicks of the London Motor Omnibus Company decided that, as the line name 'Vanguard' had proved to be very popular, he would name all lines 'Vanguard' and number the company's five routes 1 to 5. Other operators soon saw the advantage, in that a unique route number was easier for the travelling public to remember, and so the practice of using route numbers soon spread.Historic classification
Bus routes run by London Transport were grouped as follows.The London Traffic Act 1924 imposed numbering known as the Bassom Scheme, named after Superintendent Arthur Ernest Bassom of the Metropolitan Police who devised it. For many decades, variant and short workings used letter suffixes. The numbers reflected the company that operated the route.
The numbering was revised in 1934 after London Transport was formed:
List of routes
All routes operate in both directions unless detailed.1–99
100–199
200–299
300–399
400–499
500–599
| Route | Start | End | Operator | Notes |
| 533 | Hammersmith bus station | Castelnau | Go-Ahead London | A temporary route replacing routes 33, 72, 209 and 485 until further notice due to the closure of Hammersmith Bridge. |
600–699
Route numbers from 600 to 699 are used for school routes, with the majority of them running one return journey on each weekday during peak times and during school term time.900–999
Route numbers from 900 to 999 represent mobility buses; these mostly provide a once-a-week return journey to a local shopping centre from relatively low-density neighbourhoods where there is no alternative route in the main bus network. The number of mobility buses routes has declined over the past few years because low-floor and wheelchair-accessible buses run on all London Buses routes. As of 2026, there is only one mobility bus route, route 969.| Route | Start | End | Operator | Notes |
| 969 | Whitton | Roehampton Vale | Transport UK London Bus | Operates one return journey on Tuesdays and Fridays only. |
East London Transit routes (EL-prefixed)
| Route | Start | End | Operator | Notes |
| EL1 | Barking Riverside | Ilford | Go-Ahead London | Operates as a 24-hour service. Originally numbered 369 until 20 February 2010. |
| EL2 | Becontree Heath | Dagenham Dock | Go-Ahead London | |
| EL3 | Barking Riverside | Little Heath | Go-Ahead London | Originally numbered 387 until 18 February 2017. |
Other letter-prefixed routes
Night Bus routes (N-prefixed)
Night Bus routes are often related to the day numerical equivalent, normally running the same route but with an extension at either end of the service. This is normally to provide a night service to destinations served by tube or train during the day.However, there are a few N-prefixed route numbers that have no relation to their daytime equivalents: the N5, N20, and N97 all operate in a different part of London to their respective day routes. Also, the N118, N472, N550 and N551 have no corresponding daytime routes.
There are also 24-hour routes, which run day and night but usually with a lower frequency during the night hours. The vast majority run the same route at all times. With the introduction of the Night Tube, some day routes have been extended to run during Friday and Saturday nights to serve the stations.
Non-TfL bus routes in Greater London
These bus routes are not contracted to Transport for London and are therefore not London Buses. Most run from villages and towns outside Greater London to destinations within. They are painted in a colour chosen by the operator so may not be red like London Buses and do not accept Oyster cards. These routes are operated with a London Service Permit issued by TfL so appear on TfL bus stops and are recognised on TfL bus maps.Temporary routes
All routes operate in both directions unless stated.| Route | Start | End | Operator | Notes |
| 7X | East Acton | London Paddington station | Metroline | Runs annually during the Notting Hill Carnival weekend. |
| 36X | Peckham | Harrow Road | Go-Ahead London | Runs annually during the Notting Hill Carnival weekend. Runs one way towards Harrow Road only. |
| 148X | London Victoria station | Shepherd's Bush tube station | First Bus London | Runs annually during the Notting Hill Carnival weekend. |