FOI request detail

Average dwell times for New Routemaster with all-door open boarding

Request ID: FOI-0290-2223
Date published: 25 May 2022

You asked
Dear Transport for London This is a follow-up to my previous request FOI-0038-2223 https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information/foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-0038-2223 To complete the information, I request the average boarding time for the New Routemasters when they had all-door open boarding service. The date for the request starts from January 2018 to January 2020.

We answered

TfL Ref: 0290-2223

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 9 May 2022 asking for information about the average boarding time for the New Routemasters when they had all-door open boarding service – January 2018 to January 2020.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked:
This is a follow-up to my previous request FOI-0038-2223: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information/foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-0038-2223.  To complete the information, I request the average boarding time for the New Routemasters when they had all-door open boarding service.  The date for the request starts from January 2018 to January 2020.

We would recommend exercising caution when comparing dwell times between different bus routes and over time as there are a variety of factors that can influence the data (in addition to boarding/alighting practices) which includes passenger demand, traffic conditions and schedules.

However we can advise that based on the same calculation methodology as used previously i.e. averaging the observed dwell time across all routes and stops, and allocating each route to their contracted vehicle type, the average dwell time calculated for the NRM with all door boarding was 14.8 seconds. This is from Period 9, 2018/19 to Period 10, 2019/20 (corresponding with the date range from 11 November 2018 to 4 January 2020). This is the earliest data we hold.  This compares with an average dwell time of 14.5 seconds calculated for the NRM in 2022 with front-door boarding.


If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely


Sara Thomas
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

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