Londoners beware! Transport for London (TfL) has slammed the brakes on all bus services across the capital this Christmas Day. No buses will run on December 25, as TfL rolls out a festive timetable shake-up across the season.
Festive Bus Schedules: What You Need to Know
- Christmas Eve (Dec 24): Buses run a Saturday timetable. The weekday-only SL6 route gets a special schedule.
- Christmas Day (Dec 25): No buses at all – a complete shutdown.
- Boxing Day (Dec 26): Sunday timetable in effect. Routes 969 and SL6 remain offline.
- Dec 27: Back to Saturday timetables.
- Dec 28: Sunday timetable returns.
- Dec 29–30: Saturday timetable runs again. Route 969 resumes normal Tuesday service on the 30th. SL6 continues special scheduling.
Night buses are off over Christmas, with all 24-hour routes shutting around midnight. Normal service resumes from January 2.
New Year’s Eve: More Roadblocks and Bus Changes
On New Year’s Eve, buses will follow a Saturday timetable again, with the SL6 special service. Night and 24-hour buses run on altered schedules, but many central London routes will be cut short from 6pm due to heavy road closures for NYE parties. TfL promises full details closer to the date.
New Year’s Day (Jan 1): Sunday timetables run across the board.
London’s Bus Network: Big, Green, and Accessible
TfL’s network covers over 700 routes with 9,000+ buses. Flat fares are just £1.75, with unlimited rides within an hour thanks to the Hopper fare. Accessibility is a priority with all-wheelchair accessible vehicles.
TfL is also speeding towards a greener future, expanding electric and hybrid buses aiming for a zero-emission fleet by 2034.
Why the Chaos?
These festive timetable tweaks reflect typical lower passenger numbers over Christmas, giving TfL room to carry out vital maintenance and engineering works. So, plan ahead and don’t get stranded this holiday season!
