The AEC Routemaster: A great British icon

The AEC Routemaster double-decker bus was a truly iconic vehicle which outlasted several of its replacement types in London. 

Its open platform allowed boarding and alighting in places other than official stops and the fact that a conductor was employed allowed for quick boarding time and excellent security, despite greater labour costs. Routemaster was developed from 1947 to 1956 by a team led by AAM Durrant and Colin Curtis, with sleek styling by Douglas Scott. 

The aim was to produce a vehicle that was light, fuel-efficient, easy to operate and could be easily maintained by the existing mechanics at the recently opened Aldenham Works. Production of mechanical components was mainly undertaken at AEC's site in Southall, West London - though a large number had engines from Leyland - while body construction and final assembly took place at nearby Park Royal Vehicles. 

The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last one delivered in 1968. Its layout was conventional for the era, with a half-cab, front-mounted engine and open rear platform, and most production examples were 8.38 metres long with seating for 64 passengers. 

Routemaster’s design used lightweight aluminium along with techniques developed during aircraft production for the Second World War. It also introduced for the first time on a bus independent front suspension, power steering, a fully automatic gearbox and power-hydraulic braking. 

The initial Routemasters went into service with London Transport in February 1956 and the final batch were withdrawn from regular service in December 2005. Peak use on the busy streets of the capital came during its first 25 years of operation, until September 1982, when the type started to be withdrawn and was transferred to training fleets. 

The majority were built for London Transport, although a small amount went to British European Airways and the Northern General Transport Company. In total, 2,876 examples were built, of which about 1,280 still survive. 

Subsequently, heritage routes were operated in central London, the last of these cancelled as late as April 2021. 

The 15H route, operated by Stagecoach London, ran between Tower Hill and Trafalgar Square, but Transport for London said the heritage buses were “not needed for the current and predicted customer demand on the corridor” and were neither at Ultra Low Emission Zone standards nor step-free, meaning their “continued operation was no longer viable”. 

However, the distinctive original red Routemaster continues to be one of the most powerful symbols of London, and tourists still flock to buy associated memorabilia. Such is its importance to the UK, in 2006, the Routemaster was voted one of the country’s top 10 design icons, a list which included Concorde, Mini, Spitfire, London tube map and the K2 telephone box. 

And by the late 2000s, the traditional design had even inspired a new generation Routemaster bus which entered service in February 2012, complete with conductors and a rear hop-on, hop-off platform. 

The BBC perhaps summed up the Routemaster’s contribution best when it said: "Ubiquitous black cabs and red double-decker buses all have long and tangled stories that are deeply embedded in London’s traditions". 

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