On the Surface 1945 to today
About the gallery
After the Second World War, London’s surface transport services were badly dilapidated, but carried more passengers than ever.
From the 1950s, the use of buses began to decline, as they were less efficient due to congestion from cars and a low priority for government spending. The now-iconic Routemaster entered service in 1959, replacing trolleybuses.
At its peak in 1950, London Transport had 100,000 staff and was London’s biggest employer. Its large workforce increasingly reflected London’s greater diversity, directly recruiting women and staff from around the world, including the Caribbean.
After investing in new accessible buses, the long decline in London’s bus services was reversed in the late 1990s. Bus use increased year on year for more than ten years. Since 2000, London’s transport services have been run by Transport for London (TfL). While it is not as large an organisation as London Transport at its peak, it has incorporated more modes of transport than ever before.
Must-see objects
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Buses have evolved from basic wooden open-topped vehicles to highly sophisticated and intricately designed pieces of computerised technology. A short history of London’s buses.
In 2000 local government returned to London after a 14-year lapse. The new Greater London Authority took control of a new broader public transport organisation, Transport for London (TfL). Learn more about buses in the TfL era.
There was no ‘back to normal’ for public transport in post-war London. Read more about buses and the post-war challenge, 1945 – 1970.
More from the Museum guide
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