Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed the complete shutdown of bus services across the capital for December 25, with a revised timetable in place throughout the festive period. The network, which covers more than 700 routes using over 9,000 buses, will operate on a mix of Saturday and Sunday schedules on surrounding days, but will not run at all on Christmas Day itself.
On Christmas Eve, buses will follow a Saturday timetable, with the weekday-only SL6 route operating a special timetable. Night bus services will not operate, and all 24-hour routes will finish around midnight.
On Boxing Day, buses will switch to a Sunday timetable, though routes 969 and SL6 will remain out of service for the day.
Normal Saturday timetables will resume on December 27.
A Sunday timetable will be in effect on December 28.
On December 29 and 30, buses will operate Saturday timetables again, with the SL6 running to a special schedule and route 969 returning to its normal Tuesday timetable on December 30.
TfL operates one of the world’s largest bus networks, offering flat fares of £1.75 with unlimited journeys within an hour via the Hopper fare. The network prioritises accessibility, featuring wheelchair-accessible vehicles. TfL is expanding its use of electric and hybrid buses, with the goal of achieving a zero-emission fleet by 2034. On New Year’s Eve, December 31, buses will once again follow a Saturday timetable, with the SL6 using a special schedule. All night and 24-hour services will operate to special timetables. Many routes in central London will be curtailed from around 6pm due to road closures in place for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Full details on NYE services will be released in due course. On New Year’s Day, all services will run on a Sunday timetable. Regular schedules will resume from January 2. The changes are part of TfL’s annual adjustment of services during the festive season, reflecting lower passenger demand and allowing for essential maintenance and engineering work.