London Bus Route Usage 2023/2024

[Trafalgax]

The Bus Route Usage Data for 2023/2024 had been released.


tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/buses-performance-data

Top 30 Busiest Routes (rounded):



1. Route 18 - 13.02 million (=)
2 Route 149 - 12.34 million (=)
3. Route 29 - 11.54 million (=)
4. Route 207 - 10.90 million (+7)
5. Route 86 - 10.67 million (-1)
6. Route 25 - 10.49 million (-2)
7. Route 5 - 10.24 million (-1)
8. Route 279 - 10.05 million (+1)
9. Route 36 - 10.01 million (-2)
10. Route 35 - 9.95 million (+1)
11. Route 109 - 9.71 million (+2)
12. Route 53 - 9.42 million (=)
13. Route 243 - 9.35 million (-4)
14. Route 141 - 9.21 million (+1)
15. Route 43 - 8.84 million (+4)
16. Route 38 - 8.81 million (+1)
17. Route 55 - 8.67 million (-3)
18. Route 185 - 8.66 million (=)
19. Route 21 - 8.64 million (+10)
20. Route 183 - 8.58 million (-4)
21. Route 158 - 8.57 million (-1)
22. Route 140 - 8.55 million (=)
23. Route 182 - 8.48 million (-2)
24. Route 98 - 8.21 million (+6)
25. Route 93 - 8.18 million (-1)
26. Route 65 - 8.02 million (-3 )
27. Route 453 - 7.98 million (-1)
38. Route 114 - 7.57 million (new)
29. Route 254 - 7.57 million (-4)
30. Route 250 - 7.47 million (new)


Top 30 Busiest Night Routes (rounded):

1. Route N15 - 1.46 million (=)
2. Route N25 - 1.05 million (=)
3. Route N18 - 952,000 (+1)
4. Route N207 - 912,000 (+1)
5. Route N29 - 878,000 (-2)
6. Route N279 - 738,000 (=)
7. Route N9 - 704,000 (=)
8. Route N8 - 650,000 (=)
9. Route N98 - 638,000 (=)
10. Route N140 - 576,000 (+2)
11. Route N87 - 562,000 (-1)
12. Route N38 - 509,000 (-1)
13. Route N155 - 440,000 (=)
14. Route N205 - 438,000 (=)
15. Route N26 - 418,000 (+13)
16. Route N68 - 397,000 (+6)
17. Route N35 - 393,000 (=)
18. Route N1 - 388,000 (-3)
19. Route N109 - 386,000 (+4)
20. Route N243 - 386,000 (-4)
21. Route N63 - 367,000 (+4)
22. Route N73 - 357,000 (-3)
23. Route N149 - 347,000 (-5)
24. Route N253 - 345,000 (-4)
25. Route N136 - 344,000 (new)
26. Route N14 - 344,000 (=)
27. Route N133 - 327,000 (-7)
28. Route N453 - 321,000 (-4)
29. Route N53 - 320,000 (new)
30. Route N86 - 317,000 (new)


Top 30 Busiest Single Decker Routes (rounded):

1. Route 235 - 5.36 million (=)
2. Route C10 - 4.79 million (+3)
3. Route 195 - 4.76 million (+1)
4. Route W15 - 4.37 million (+2)
5. Route 316 - 4.34 million (-2 )
6. Route 170 - 4.21 million (-4)
7. Route 366 - 4.15 million (+1)
8. Route 214 - 4.12 million (-1)
9. Route 112 - 3.84 million (+3)
10. Route 358 - 3.82 million (=)
11. Route 450 - 3.70 million (=)
12. Route 276 - 3.63 million (-3)
13. Route C11 - 3.63 million (+1)
14. Route 33 - 3.60 million (+3)
15. Route 46 - 3.51 million (-2)
16. Route 493 - 3.46 million (=)
17. Route 108 - 3.42 million (-2)
18. Route 490 - 3.38 million (+7)
19. Route 236 - 3.31 million (=)
20. Route 70 - 3.29 million (+2)
21. Route H37 - 3.29 million (-1)
22. Route E6 - 3.23 million (-1)
23. Route 244 - 3.20 million (+5)
24. Route 410 - 3.17 million (+5)
25. Route 184 - 3.15 million (-7)
26. Route 181 - 3.07 million (-2)
27. Route 226 - 3.06 million (=)
28. Route 227 - 3.05 million (new)
29. Route 39 - 3.04 million (-6)
30. Route 192 - 3.03 million (-4)


Busiest Superloop Routes (rounded):



1. Route SL8 (607) - 7.75 million
2. Route SL9 (X140) - 4.82 million
3. Route SL7 (X26) - 3.05 million
4. Route SL10 - 918,000
5. Route SL1 - 603,000
6. Route SL6 (X68) - 375,000
7. Route SL5 - 220,000
8. Route SL3 - 195,000
9. Route SL2 - 150,000


Top 30 Usage per Bus km Operated (rounded):

1. Route W7 - 8.30 (=)
2. Route 98 - 8.26 (+4)
3. Route 149 - 8.02 (-1)
4. Route 238 - 7.75 (-1)
5. Route 29 - 7.75 (=)
6. Route 35 - 7.72 (-2)
7. Route 109 - 7.23 (+1)
8. Route 41 - 7.11 (-1)
9. Route 120 - 6.95 (+17)
10. Route 69 - 6.93 (=)
11. Route 58 - 6.91 (-1)
12. Route 9 - 6.85 (new)
13. Route 104 - 6.71 (+1)
14. Route 205 - 6.68 (-1)
15. Route 94 - 6.68 (=)
16. Route 25 - 6.62 (-4)
17. Route 18 - 6.40 (-6)
18. Route 52 - 6.39 (new)
19. Route 141 - 6.38 (+4)
20. Route 169 - 6.27 (new)
21. Route 279 - 6.27 (+3)
22. Route 250 - 6.27 (+7)
23. Route 36 - 6.25 (+4)
24. Route 158 - 6.23 (new)
25. Route 330 - 6.22 (-12)
26. Route 44 - 6.20 (-7)
27. Route 43 - 6.20 (new)
28. Route 254 - 6.20 (=)
29. Route 207 - 6.19 (new)
30. Route 21 - 6.15 (new)


Top 30 Usage per Night Bus km Operated (rounded):



1. Route N35 - 3.79 (=)
2. Route N238 - 3.38 (+1)
3. Route N149 - 3.16 (-1)
4. Route N205 - 3.02 (=)
5. Route N109 - 2.92 (=)
6. Route N140 - 2.81 (+6)
7. Route N279 - 2.75 (-1)
8. Route N105 - 2.7 (+13)
9. Route N25 - 2.67 (+1)
10. Route N69 - 2.63 (-1)
11. Route N18 - 2.58 (-3)
12. Route N453 - 2.56 (-7)
13. Route N9 - 2.44 (+4)
14. Route N63 - 2.40 (+1)
15. Route N250 - 2.39 (+7)
16. Route N133 - 2.39 (=)
17. Route N36 - 2.36 (+6)
18. Route N243 - 2.36 (-11)
19. Route N12 - 2.29 (-8)
20. Route N253 - 2.29 (-7)
21. Route N2 - 2.26 (-2)
22. Route NEL1 - 2.26 (new)
23. Route N207 - 2.23 (-9)
24. Route N15 - 2.22 (-3) 
25. Route N38 - 2.22 (=)
26. Route N344 - 2.21 (+4)
27. Route N98 - 2.19 (new)
28. Route N155 - 2.14 (new)
29. Route N390 - 2.12 (-2)
30. Route N176 - 2.09 (-6)


Top 30 Usage per Bus km Operated for SD routes (rounded):

1. Route 195 - 4.79
2. Route 214 - 4.73
3. Route H37 - 4.34
4. Route C11 - 4.03
5. Route 200 - 3.96
6. Route 227 - 3.92
7. Route 521 - 3.88
8. Route 219 - 3.87
9. Route 300 - 3.85
10. Route W6 - 3.85
11. Route 235 - 3.83
12. Route 170 - 3.81
13. Route E6 - 3.79
14. Route 152 - 3.75
15. Route 164 - 3.74
16. Route 288 - 3.72
17. Route 117 - 3.72
18. Route 236 - 3.71
19. Route 181 - 3.66
20. Route 283 - 3.65
21. Route H17 - 3.6
22. Route W4 - 3.59
23. Route 46 - 3.58
24. Route 450 - 3.51
25. Route 325 - 3.5
26. Route 163 - 3.49
27. Route H10 - 3.48
28. Route C10 - 3.42
29. Route 72 - 3.42
30. Route 444 - 3.41


Usage per Bus km Operated for SL routes (rounded):


1. Route SL8 - 4.76
2. Route SL9 - 4.73
3. Route SL6 - 3.3
4. Route SL10 - 2.65
5. Route SL1 - 1.94
6. Route SL7 - 1.69
7. Route SL5 - 1.54
8. Route SL2 - 1.25
9. Route SL3 - 1.1


_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- Total Usage: 1.89 billion passengers

- Total Bus Km Operated: 479.3 million kilometers

- Average Usage per Bus Km Operated: 3.25 passengers per kilometer

- Median Usage per Bus Km Operated: 3.12 passengers per kilometer

[LK65EBO]

Some of those top SD routes really ought to be DD routes.

[refinedsnowball]

How is the 195 still a SD route? It is always rammed. Is there a section preventing the route from deckers?

Other routes such as the 33, 490 & 493 could benefit from DDs as well.

[WH241]

Nov 13, 2024 19:53:46 GMT refinedsnowball said:

How is the 195 still a SD route? It is always rammed. Is there a section preventing the route from deckers?

Other routes such as the 33, 490 & 493 could benefit from DDs as well.

I often see posts about "Busy" single decker routes.  Why can't routes be busy?  On some routes double decking could end up having wasted capacity or situations where passengers prefer staying downstairs so end up just as busy on the lower deck. 

[BL15HCD]

Nov 13, 2024 20:03:34 GMT WH241 said:

Nov 13, 2024 19:53:46 GMT refinedsnowball said:

How is the 195 still a SD route? It is always rammed. Is there a section preventing the route from deckers?

Other routes such as the 33, 490 & 493 could benefit from DDs as well.

I often see posts about "Busy" single decker routes.  Why can't routes be busy?  On some routes double decking could end up having wasted capacity or situations where passengers prefer staying downstairs so end up just as busy on the lower deck. 

Detracts any potential future passengers, especially when people get left behind, that leaves a firm impression

[WH241]

25 and 86 still up near the top even with the Elizabeth Line. This shows just how much the local communities need / can only afford buses as a means of travel. 

The Superloop data can't give a clear picture as routes had different start dates. Next years data will give a better idea of usage. 

[WH241]

Nov 13, 2024 20:07:43 GMT BL15HCD said:

Nov 13, 2024 20:03:34 GMT WH241 said:

I often see posts about "Busy" single decker routes.  Why can't routes be busy?  On some routes double decking could end up having wasted capacity or situations where passengers prefer staying downstairs so end up just as busy on the lower deck. 

Detracts any potential future passengers, especially when people get left behind, that leaves a firm impression

But we have always had single decker routes. I just get the impression the forum leans more in favor of all routes should be double decker if they can take them but this is just a waste on some routes. 

I appreciate I am in the minatory here and going to open a whole can of worms so will just leave it at that as this debate has been done before.    

[BL15HCD]

Nov 13, 2024 20:11:35 GMT WH241 said:

Nov 13, 2024 20:07:43 GMT BL15HCD said:

Detracts any potential future passengers, especially when people get left behind, that leaves a firm impression

But we have always had single decker routes. I just get the impression the forum leans more in favor of all routes should be double decker if they can take them but this is just a waste on some routes. 

I appreciate I am in the minatory here and going to open a whole can of worms so will just leave it at that as this debate has been done before.    

That's different to saying a SD route is busy and needs the extra capacity

[VMH2537]

I would be curious to see which routes recovered the fewest users compared to their pre-COVID stats, looking at a few examples. The W9 is only 62.4% of its former 2018-2019 usage.

[evergreenadam]

Nov 13, 2024 20:16:23 GMT VMH2537 said:

I would be curious to see which routes recovered the fewest users compared to their pre-COVID stats, looking at a few examples. The W9 is only 62.4% of its former 2018-2019 usage.

Especially as that is the benchmark used by TfL a lot.

[abellion]

Nov 13, 2024 20:11:35 GMT WH241 said:

Nov 13, 2024 20:07:43 GMT BL15HCD said:

Detracts any potential future passengers, especially when people get left behind, that leaves a firm impression

But we have always had single decker routes. I just get the impression the forum leans more in favor of all routes should be double decker if they can take them but this is just a waste on some routes. 

I appreciate I am in the minatory here and going to open a whole can of worms so will just leave it at that as this debate has been done before.    

A few people think that, but not everyone. If you have already crowded single deck routes which have no restrictions then they could be double decked and that could encourage usage at busy times with the additional capacity. I see empty 200s all throughout the week at various times whenever I’m around it’s route but it still warrants DDs because of the busy times and sections.

[PGAT]

I'm surprised the SL10 has much more usage than the SL1 when it is only 2 weeks older

[londonbuses]

Top 30 routes with highest percentage change in usage compared to 2022/23 figures:

1. Route X26/SL7 - 154.64%
2. Route 1 - 152.81%
3. Route 485 - 143.01%
4. Route 533 - 131.33%
5. Route H26 - 128.61%
6. Route 482 - 128.28%
7. Route 278 - 127.11%
8. Route U5 - 126.96%
9. Route 9 - 126.94%
10. Route E11 - 124.87%
11. Route 142 - 124.23%
12. Route 406 - 123.87%
13. Route 68 - 123.50%
14. Route 304 - 123.36%
15. Route 346 - 123.26%
16. Route H28 - 123.23%
17. Route 301 - 122.57%
18. Route 315 - 122.49%
19. Route 367 - 122.49%
20. Route 350 - 122.37%
21. Route R70 - 122.29%
22. Route 203 - 122.10%
23. Route S4 - 121.99%
24. Route 456 - 121.50%
25. Route 223 - 121.40%
26. Route H20 - 121.34%
27. Route C10 - 120.94%
28. Route 384 - 120.90%
29. Route 234 - 120.66%

30. Route W5 - 120.55%

Top 30 routes with lowest percentage change in usage compared to 2022/23 figures (I have excluded now withdrawn routes 168, 332, 507 and 521):

1. Route 11 - 72.00%
2. Route 209 - 73.64%
3. Route 23 - 77.32%
4. Route R68 - 80.87%
5. Route 427 - 81.29%
6. Route 187 - 87.85%
7. Route 22 - 89.37%
8. Route 359 - 92.03%
9. Route C3 - 93.52%
10. Route 425 - 93.84%
11. Route 488 - 94.45%
12. Route 299 - 95.07%
13. Route W9 - 95.10%
14. Route 395 - 95.55%
15. Route 308 - 96.04%
16. Route 452 - 96.26%
17. Route D3 - 96.63%
18. Route 253 - 96.73%
19. Route 40 - 96.80%
20. Route 115 - 96.97%
21. Route 473 - 97.19%
22. Route 295 - 97.45%
23. Route B13 - 97.51%
24. Route 57 - 97.63%
25. Route 59 - 97.67%
26. Route 298 - 98.22%
27. Route 389 - 98.27%
28. Route 243 - 98.43%
29. Route 144 - 98.47%

30. Route E2 - 98.62%

Similar stats comparing current usage to 2018/19 (pre-Covid) usage to come.

[Eastlondoner62]

Nov 13, 2024 20:08:56 GMT WH241 said:

25 and 86 still up near the top even with the Elizabeth Line. This shows just how much the local communities need / can only afford buses as a means of travel. 

The Superloop data can't give a clear picture as routes had different start dates. Next years data will give a better idea of usage. 

Think you've completely misread the reason why the 25 and 86 are busy, people pile onto them from the Elizabeth Line and not as an alternative. The 25 making it onto the high usage per mile list also shows its usage is high turnover as opposed to the bus getting rammed then people riding on it for long journeys.

[londonbuses]

Top 30 routes with highest percentage change in usage compared to 2018/19 (pre-Covid) figures:

1. Route 404 - 238.50% (=)
2. Route 423 - 226.85% (+1)
3. Route 110 - 219.92% (-1)
4. Route 419 - 168.23% (=)
5. Route X26/SL7 - 159.93% (+18)
6. Route 129 - 158.47% (=)
7. Route 384 - 151.17% (+2)
8. Route 112 - 150.84% (-3)
9. Route 482 - 143.88% (+6)
10. Route 26 - 141.30% (+1)
11. Route 440 - 140.64% (-4)
12. Route 1 - 137.93% (new)
13. Route 289 - 137.11% (-3)
14. Route 490 - 133.72% (-2)
15. Route H98 - 129.71% (-2)
16. Route 90 - 128.65% (=)
17. Route H26 - 126.74% (new)
18. Route 35 - 122.70% (-4)
19. Route 425 - 122.65% (-11)
20. Route 203 - 121.76% (new)
21. Route 125 - 118.83% (-3)
22. Route 290 - 116.96% (new)
23. Route 350 - 115.08% (new)
24. Route 375 - 114.66% (-3)
25. Route 105 - 114.13% (new)
26. Route 158 - 113.90% (-6)
27. Route 21 - 113.87% (new)
28. Route 127 - 113.60% (-6)
29. Route D8 - 112.85% (-10)
30. Route W11 - 112.76% (new)

Top 30 routes with lowest percentage change in usage compared to 2018/19 (pre-Covid) figures (I have excluded now withdrawn routes 168, 332, 507 and 521):

1. Route 209 - 5.06% (=)
2. Route 72 - 32.19% (=)
3. Route 45 - 48.06% (+3)
4. Route U10 - 49.91% (+1)
5. Route 23 - 55.46% (new)
6. Route 414 - 55.66% (+1)
7. Route 67 - 57.88% (+2)
8. Route 12 - 58.11% (+3)
9. Route 266 - 58.21% (-1)
10. Route 299 - 58.63% (+4)
11. Route R68 - 59.13% (new)
12. Route 427 - 61.21% (new)
13. Route 171 - 61.97% (+3)
14. Route W9 - 62.47% (new)
15. Route 11 - 62.67% (new)
16. Route 140 - 64.11% (-4)
17. Route 104 - 64.85% (+4)
18. Route 224 - 64.93% (=)
19. Route 25 - 65.69% (+10)
20. Route 22 - 65.79% (new)
21. Route 464 - 65.84% (-2)
22. Route 27 - 67.32% (-12)
23. Route 187 - 67.75% (new)
24. Route 452 - 67.89% (new)
25. Route 549 - 68.04% (-12)
26. Route 259 - 68.14% (new)
27. Route 295 - 68.43% (new)
28. Route 159 - 68.79% (new)
29. Route 228 - 68.91% (-12)
30. Route 359 - 69.05% (new)

Brackets indicate the change in position from a similar list comparing 2022/23 figures to 2018/19.