This is a list of Transport for London (TfL) contracted bus routes in London, England, as well as non-TfL bus routes that enter Greater London (except coaches).
TfL bus routes in London are operated by 7 operators. Those operators are: Arriva London, Go-Ahead London (London Central, London General, Docklands Buses and Blue Triangle), Metroline, First Bus London (London Sovereign, London United and London Transit), Stagecoach London (East London, Selkent and Lea Interchange Bus Company), 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.
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.
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 (later Chief Constable) Arthur Ernest Bassom of the Metropolitan Police who devised it. For many decades, variant and short workings used letter suffixes (e.g. "77B"). The numbers reflected the company that operated the route.
The numbering was revised in 1934 after London Transport was formed:
All routes operate in both directions unless detailed.
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.
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 bus routes has declined over the past few years due to low-floor and wheelchair-accessible buses now running on all London Buses routes, as well as the increased capacity of the Dial-a-Ride service. As of 2026, there is only one mobility bus route in operation, route 969.
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 (which runs partially alongside route N18), N472 (whose daytime service was withdrawn in January 2026), N550 and N551 (which provide night service on parts of the DLR network) 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.
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.
All routes operate in both directions unless stated.