Work starts next week to refurbish and restore a 100 year-old listed shelter on South End Green, Hampstead, which was once used between journeys by tramwaymen, London Buses announced today.

The project will refurbish the green wooden shelter, used today by bus drivers on routes 24 and 168, to create a larger mess room and provide toilet facilities. The hut will be sensitively restored to its former glory using wood and paint to match original features.

London Buses Head of Infrastructure Chris Kershaw said:

"Bus drivers deserve decent facilities to take a well-earned break between journeys. I'm delighted that we can refurbish the Hampstead tram hut in keeping with the local area to serve many generations of drivers to come."

A resident of Hampstead donated the hut at the turn of the last century for tram drivers reaching Hampstead Heath in their open-fronted vehicles. It is now an essential 'pit stop' for bus drivers but has decayed over recent years.

  1. ITC Concepts Ltd will carry out the £50,000 project on behalf of London Buses and expect to complete the refurbishment in March. The property is leased to London Buses by Camden Council.
  2. Images of the hut in the 1930s are available from the TfL press office (supplied by the London Transport Museum).
  3. London Buses manages bus services in London for the Mayor's Transport for London. It plans routes, specifies service levels and monitors service quality. It is also responsible for bus stations, bus stops, security initiatives and passenger information. The bus services are operated by private operators, which work under contract to London Buses.
  4. The London bus network is one of the largest and most comprehensive urban systems in the world. Each weekday 7,500 London buses carry 5.4 million passengers on more than 700 different routes.

For more information contact the TfL press office on 020 7941 4881 or 7941 4141 (and for out of hours).