Route is the fifteenth to be converted to New Routemasters

Bus route 88 has become the latest on the TfL bus network to be served entirely by New Routemaster buses.

A phased conversion of the route, operated by Go Ahead, which runs between Camden Town, Mornington Crescent, Warren Street, Great Portland Street, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Westminster, Great Smith Street, Tate Britain, Vauxhall, Stockwell, Clapham High Street, Clapham North and Clapham Common, is underway.

State-of-the-art buses

The 24-hours-a-day service will be running entirely with New Routemaster buses by mid-September.

During peak hours, 23 of these state-of-the-art buses will be in passenger service to carry the 16,000 people who travel on the route each week day.

Route 88 will operate with the rear platform closed when the bus is moving, with large numbers of passengers able to quickly board and alight using all three sets of doors and two staircases at bus stops.

Reducing CO2 emissions

To date, 14 bus routes in London are operating with New Routemasters. The conversion of route 88 will be another step towards the delivery of 800 New Routemasters on London's streets by 2016, reducing CO2 emissions in the Capital by around 27,500 tonnes a year.

The introduction of New Routemaster buses is part of a comprehensive programme to reduce emissions from London's bus fleet which includes 1,700 hybrids on the street by 2016, accelerating the introduction of ultra low emission Euro VI buses and retrofitting 1,800 older buses to reduce their NOx emissions by up to 88%.

Notes to Editors:

  • Go Ahead London comprises London Central, London General, Blue Triangle, Docklands Buses and Metrobus. It runs a fleet of over 2200 buses, representing over 24% of the London bus market, and accounts for approximately 433 million bus journeys annually on over 190 day and night routes
  • New Routemaster buses are manufactured by the family-owned Wrightbus company in Northern Ireland. The original order, for 600 vehicles, resulted in the opening of a new chassis plant in Antrim and the safeguarding of 220 jobs, including 18 apprenticeships and the creation of 50 new jobs
  • The TfL Board approved the purchase of a further 200 New Routemaster buses on 5 November 2014. These buses improve the journey experience of passengers, enhance air quality, reduce vehicle noise and cut emissions with associated health benefits.