List of bus garages in London

Every garage operating services that form part of the London bus network is given an official London bus garage code. Such codes are given not only to garages running London bus contracts, but also to those running commercial bus services under London bus agreements. There is also a code for Tramlink. The codes are used internally by London Buses, for administrative purposes.

Many operators also give their garages codes, sometimes for similar administrative reasons, or sometimes — particularly where they only have one garage — for "enthusiast reasons". These are not always the same as the London bus codes, although they often are.

History

Many of the codes are long-established, going back to London Buses Limited (LBL) (and in many cases earlier) days, and are well-known among staff and enthusiasts. There is usually some sort of logic to the code allocated. In the early part of the 20th Century, the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) allocated its garages codes by going through the alphabet — initially A, B, C, etc.; and then AA, AB, AC, etc. Codes allocated since often reflect the geographical name of the garage (e.g. Fulwell, Alperton, New Cross (NX)), although some have since been renamed (HT, Holloway, was called Highgate).

Since the start of tendering in 1985, some codes have also reflected the name of the owning company, examples being AH (Armchair, Brentford), EL (Eastern National, Chelmsford), WI (Wings, Uxbridge), BE (Blue Triangle, Rainham). Such company names may not still be in use today: DX (Arriva London North East, Barking) originates from Dix Travel, which was absorbed into Grey-Green, becoming their Dagenham operation, and subsequently relocated to Barking, and now absorbed by Arriva. Similarly BT (Sovereign, Edgware) comes from BTS, which was subsequently bought out by Sovereign, and Hounslow Heath code WK originates from Westlink. The official code FR for Metrobus's Crayford base is especially obscure, referring to the original owner, one Chris Freeman of Freeman’s Coaches, which was absorbed into Crystals, which subsequently sold out to Tellings-Golden Miller in 2003, who then sold it on to Metrobus in 2005.

In several cases (TB/TC/TL and QB) the code reflects both the location (Bromley/Croydon/Lewisham (Catford), Battersea) and the original owning company (Tilling, Q-Drive). (For example: TB would be Tilling Bromley, QB would be Q-Drive Battersea)

Some garage codes have been used for more than one garage over the years, sometimes when an entire garage has moved such as at Peckham (PM), and sometimes when a code has been "dormant" for some years and then been reused. Some premises have had different codes at different times in their life, and indeed three (Edgware, Fulwell and Ash Grove) currently have two codes simultaneously, one for each operator.

During the period of operation by London Transport and its predecessors, indeed back to the earliest motor buses in the early 20th century, the garage code was clearly carried on both sides of the vehicle. The code was usually in the form of a metal (later plastic) stencil plate carried in a holder beside the running duty number plate. Latterly, the garage codes took the form of painted stencils or adhesive characters. In the post London Transport/ London Buses period, the display of garage codes is no longer universal and many vehicles carry no visible identification.

There are a number of historical anomalies with the allocation of codes. When Ash Grove garage opened in 1981, it was coded AG by London Transport. As an operational garage that has opened and closed several times over the years, it now carries the code AE, formerly the code of the long closed Hendon garage and the AG code is currently unused.

Current codes

A

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
A Sutton Go-Ahead London A
AC Willesden Metroline AC
AD Palmers Green Arriva London AD
AE Ash Grove Arriva London AE
AF Putney Go-Ahead London AF
AH Brentford Metroline AH
AL Merton Go-Ahead London AL
AR Tottenham Arriva London AR
AS Atlas Road Tower Transit AS
AV Hounslow London United AV

B

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
BC Beddington Cross Abellio London BC
BE Rainham Go-Ahead London B
BF Byfleet Abellio London TG
BK Barking Stagecoach London BK
BN Brixton Arriva London BN
BT Edgware London Sovereign BT
BV Belvedere Go-Ahead London BV
BW Bow Stagecoach London BW
BX Bexleyheath Go-Ahead London BX

C

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
CN Croydon Arriva London CN
C Croydon Metrobus C
CT Clapton Arriva London CT
CY Crawley Metrobus MY

D

Code Garage Operated By London Buses
DT Dartford Arriva Southern Counties DT
DX Barking Arriva London DX

E

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
E Enfield Arriva London E
EB Epsom Quality Line EB
EC Edmonton Arriva London EC
EW Edgware Metroline EW

F

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
FW Fulwell London United FW

G

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
G Greenford Metroline G
GR Watford Arriva Shires & Essex GR
GY Grays Arriva Southern Counties GY

H

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
HA Harlow Arriva Shires & Essex HA
HD Harrow Weald Metroline HD
HF Hatfield Uno UB
HH Hounslow Heath London United WK
HK Ash Grove CT Plus HK
HT Holloway Metroline HT
HZ Hayes Metroline HZ

K

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
KC King's Cross Metroline KC

L

Code Garage Operated By London buses Code
LI Lea Interchange Tower Transit HO

M

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
MB Orpington Metrobus MB
MW Mandela Way Go-Ahead London MW

N

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
N Norwood Arriva London N
NF Northfleet Arriva Southern Counties NF
NP Northumberland Park Go-Ahead London NP
NS Romford Stagecoach London NS
NX New Cross Go-Ahead London NX

O

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
ON Alperton Metroline ON

P

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
PA West Perivale Metroline PA
PB Potters Bar Metroline PB
PD Plumstead Stagecoach London PD
PK Park Royal London United PK
PL Waterside Way Go-Ahead London PL
PM Peckham Go-Ahead London PM

Q

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
Q Camberwell Go-Ahead London Q
QB Battersea Abellio London QB

R

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
RA Waterloo Go-Ahead London RA
RM Rainham Stagecoach London RM

S

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
S Shepherd's Bush London United S
SF Stamford Hill Arriva London SF
SI Silvertown Go-Ahead London SI
SM South Mimms Sullivan Buses SN
SO Harrow London Sovereign SO
SW Stockwell Go-Ahead London SW

T

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
T Leyton Stagecoach London T
TB Bromley Stagecoach London TB
TC South Croydon Arriva London TC
TF Fulwell Abellio London TF
TH Thornton Heath Arriva London TH
TK Tramlink TfL & Tramtrack Croydon TK
TL Catford Stagecoach London TL
TP Thorpe Park Sullivan Buses TP
(TW) Tunbridge Wells Arriva Southern Counties TS
TV Tolworth London United TV

U

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
UX Uxbridge Metroline UX

V

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
V Stamford Brook London United V

W

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
W Cricklewood Metroline W
WB High Wycombe Arriva Shires & Essex HI
WD Wandsworth Arriva Original Sightseeing WD
WE Ware Arriva Shires & Essex WE
WH West Ham Stagecoach London WH
WJ Willesden Junction Metroline WJ
WL Walworth Abellio London WL
WN Wood Green Arriva London WN
WS Hayes Abellio London WS

X

Code Garage Operated By London Buses Code
X Westbourne Park Tower Transit X

See also

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