The London Night Bus network is a series of night bus routes that serve Greater London. Services broadly operate between the hours of 23:00 and 06:00.
Many services commence from or operate via Trafalgar Square and are extensions or variations of daytime routes and hence derive their number from these; for example, route N73 from Oxford Circus to Walthamstow Central follows that of route 73 as far as Stoke Newington, before continuing further north.Route N73 Transport for LondonRoute 73 Transport for London
History
The first night bus was introduced in 1913. By 1920 there were two 'All Night Bus Services' in operation named the 94 and 94a running from 23:30 to 05:30. A few more services were introduced over the following decades, but all ceased during World War II. Services resumed after the war, increasing as trams and trolleybuses were replaced in the late 1950s and 1960s. In 1978 London Transport listed 21 all-night bus routes. On many of these routes, "all-night" service meant a departure frequency of no more than one bus an hour. In April 1984, the number of routes was increased from 21 to 32. At this point the peak service required 80 buses; by August 2013 this had grown to 890.
Originally the night bus network had its own fare structure, but with the introduction of the Oyster card in 2003, it was incorporated into the Transport for London fare structure. Until the mid-2000s, all routes had N prefixes. However, as some routes merely mirrored their day time equivalents, the N prefixes were dropped and these routes became 24-hour services; for example, route N14 was no longer differentiated from route 14.
Services are operated by private operators under contract to London Buses. The Night Bus contracts are often bundled with those of the equivalent daytime routes and awarded for a five-year period, with an optional two-year extension based on performance standards being met. Some however are tendered individually.Tender Results Stagecoach London 16 July 2014
With some London Underground lines operating a 24-hour service at weekends from August 2016, a further eight routes commenced 24-hour operation on Friday and Saturday nights.TfL introduces new Friday and Saturday night bus services to support Night Tube Transport for London 17 August 2016 Further changes were made as the Night Tube network expanded.
In May 2015, the Night Bus network was the subject of The Night Bus, a Channel 4 documentary."The Night Bus" community on Arriva London buses Arriva London 11 May 2015The Night Bus; nocturnal naughtiness on the N29 The Guardian 11 May 2015
Operation
Night Bus routes are often related to the day numerical equivalent, normally running the same route but with an extension at either end of the service. This is normally to provide a night service to destinations served by tube or train during the day. Some N-prefixed routes may begin operation before the last service of their day numerical equivalent for the day.
However, there are a few N-prefixed route numbers that have no relation to their daytime equivalents: the N5, N20, and N97 all operate in a different part of London to their respective day routes. Also, the N118 (which runs partially alongside route N18), N472 (whose daytime service was withdrawn in January 2026), N550 and N551 (which provide night service on parts of the DLR network) have no corresponding daytime routes.
There are also 24-hour routes, which run day and night but usually with a lower frequency during the night hours. The vast majority run the same route at all times. With the introduction of the Night Tube, some day routes have been extended to run during Friday and Saturday nights to serve the stations.
RouteStartEndOperator N1 Thamesmead Tottenham Court Road station Go-Ahead London N2 Crystal Palace bus station Marylebone station Arriva London N3 Oxford Circus tube station Bromley North railway station Transport UK London Bus N5 Edgware bus station Trafalgar Square First Bus London N7 Northolt tube station Oxford Circus tube station Metroline N8 Hainault Oxford Circus tube station Stagecoach London N9 Heathrow Terminal 5 Aldwych Metroline N11 Ealing Broadway station Whitehall Go-Ahead London N15 Oxford Circus tube station Romford Market Go-Ahead London N18 Harrow Weald bus garage Trafalgar Square First Bus London N19 Clapham Junction railway station Finsbury Park bus station Arriva London N20 Barnet Hospital Trafalgar Square Metroline N21 Trafalgar Square Bexleyheath town centre Go-Ahead London N22 Oxford Circus tube station Fulwell Go-Ahead London N25 Ilford Oxford Circus tube station Stagecoach London N26 Chingford railway station London Victoria station Stagecoach London N27 Camden Market Hammersmith bus station Transport UK London Bus N28 Southside Wandsworth Camden Town tube station Metroline N29 Enfield Town Trafalgar Square Arriva London N31 Clapham Junction railway station Camden Town tube station First Bus London N32 Edgware bus station London Victoria station Metroline N33 Fulwell railway station Hammersmith bus station First Bus London N38 Walthamstow bus station Victoria bus station Arriva London N41 Tottenham Hale bus station Trafalgar Square Arriva London N44 Sutton railway station Aldwych Go-Ahead London N53 Whitehall Plumstead railway station Stagecoach London N55 St Thomas of Canterbury Church Oxford Circus tube station Stagecoach London N63 Crystal Palace London King's Cross railway station Transport UK London Bus N65 Chessington World of Adventures Ealing Broadway station First Bus London N68 Old Coulsdon Tottenham Court Road Transport UK London Bus N72 East Acton Roehampton First Bus London N73 Walthamstow bus station Oxford Circus tube station Arriva London N74 Roehampton Baker Street tube station Go-Ahead London N83 Ealing Hospital Golders Green tube station Metroline N86 Harold Hill Stratford bus station Stagecoach London N87 Fairfield bus station Aldwych Go-Ahead London N89 Trafalgar Square Erith Go-Ahead London N91 Cockfosters tube station Trafalgar Square Go-Ahead London N97 Hammersmith bus station Trafalgar Square Go-Ahead London N98 Stanmore tube station Red Lion Square Metroline N109 Oxford Circus tube station Croydon town centre Transport UK London Bus N113 Edgware bus station Trafalgar Square Metroline N118 Ruislip tube station Trafalgar Square First Bus London N133 Morden tube station Liverpool Street bus station Transport UK London Bus N136 Oxford Circus tube station Chislehurst Go-Ahead London N137 Crystal Palace bus station Oxford Circus Arriva London N140 Harrow Weald bus garage Heathrow Central bus station Metroline N155 Morden tube station Aldwych Go-Ahead London N171 Hither Green railway station Tottenham Court Road station Go-Ahead London N199 St Mary Cray railway station Trafalgar Square Stagecoach London N205 Leyton London Paddington station Stagecoach London N207 Uxbridge tube station Bloomsbury Square Transport UK London Bus N242 Homerton University Hospital Tottenham Court Road Stagecoach London N250 Fairfield Halls Brixton tube station Arriva London N253 Tottenham Court Road station Aldgate tube station Arriva London N263 North Finchley bus station Finsbury Square Metroline N266 Brent Cross bus station Hammersmith bus station Metroline N277 Cubitt Town Islington Stagecoach London N279 Waltham Cross Trafalgar Square Arriva London N343 New Cross bus garage Trafalgar Square Go-Ahead London N381 Peckham Whitehall Transport UK London Bus N472 North Greenwich bus station Abbey Wood railway station Go-Ahead London N550 Canning Town bus station Trafalgar Square Stagecoach London N551 Gallions Reach Shopping Park Trafalgar Square Stagecoach London
N1 Route N1 commenced operating on 28 June 1995 between Plumstead garage and Trafalgar Square. It was originally operated by London Central, being taken over by First London on 14 November 1998. On 8 January 2000 it was extended beyond Plumstead to Thamesmead, and in April 2000 withdrawn between Trafalgar Square and Aldwych being diverted to Tottenham Court Road station. Upon being re-tendered, the route was taken over by East Thames Buses on 15 October 2005.
In October 2009, East Thames Buses was sold to Go-Ahead London, which included a five-year contract to operate route N1.Go-Ahead Acquires East Thames Buses Go-Ahead Group 30 July 2009Go-Ahead buys East Thames Buses Bus & Coach Professional 3 August 2009East Thames Buses Go-Ahead London
Current route Route N1 operates via these primary locations:Route N1 Map Transport for London Thamesmead Abbey Wood station Plumstead station Woolwich Arsenal station Charlton station Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich station Deptford Surrey Quays station South Bermondsey station Elephant & Castle station Waterloo station Aldwych Holborn station Tottenham Court Road station
N2 Route N2 commenced operating on 13 April 1984 between West Norwood station and Trafalgar Square. In October 1984, it was extended north from Trafalgar Square to Friern Barnet and south from West Norwood station to Crystal Palace bus station. In June 1995, it was withdrawn between Camden Town and Friern Barnet, and rerouted to Hampstead Heath. In November 1999, the Trafalgar Square to Hampstead Heath section was withdrawn and replaced by route N24. Upon being re-tendered, it passed from Metroline to Arriva London in April 2000.
Current route Route N2 operates via these primary locations:Route N2 Map Transport for London Crystal Palace bus station West Norwood station Tulse Hill station Brixton station Stockwell station Vauxhall bus station Pimlico station Victoria station Hyde Park Corner station Marble Arch Marylebone station
N3 Route N3 began operating on 27 October 1989 between Beckenham Junction station and Victoria bus station via Oxford Circus. In October 1993, it was extended to start back at Chislehurst. In May 2000, it was altered to operate between Bromley North station and Oxford Circus. Its operation passed from London Central to Connex on the same date.
Route N3 was included in the sale of Connex to Travel London in February 2004National Express buys 200 London busesThe Daily Telegraph 27 February 2004 which in turn was sold to Abellio London in May 2009.National Express Group plc agreement to sell Travel London National Express Group 21 May 2009NedRailways acquisition reinforces long term commitment to UK transport market NedRailways 9 June 2009 New Routemasters commenced operating route N3 on 8 February 2016.
Current route Route N3 operates via these primary locations:Route N3 Map Transport for London Oxford Circus station Regent Street Piccadilly Circus station Trafalgar Square For Charing Cross tube station Whitehall Westminster station Horseferry Road For Parliament Square Lambeth Palace For Lambeth Bridge Lambeth Road Kennington Road For Imperial War Museum St Marks Church For Oval station Brixton Road Brixton station Lambeth Town Hall Brockwell Lido Herne Hill station Brockwell Park Dulwich Wood Crystal Palace station Anerley station Penge Pawleyne Arms Kent House station Beckenham Road tram stop Clock House station Beckenham War Memorial Bromley South station Bromley North station
N5 Route N5 commenced operating on 28 October 1989 between Edgware station and Victoria bus station. In June 1995, it was withdrawn between Trafalgar Square and Victoria. It was operated by Metroline since its inception until July 2020 when it passed to London Sovereign.London bus contract changes announced Coach & Bus Week issue 1420 19 November 2019 page 10
Current route Route N5 operates via these primary locations:Route N5 Map Transport for London Edgware bus station Burnt Oak station Colindale station Hendon station Hendon Central station Golders Green station Hampstead station Belsize Park station Chalk Farm station Camden Town station Euston bus station Leicester Square station Trafalgar Square
N7