Whilst the majority of journeys on the Imberbus service are operated by heritage Routemasters, since 2012 we have been pleased to supplement some journeys with one of London’s newest buses.

LT 24 shows off its service 23A branding at Gore Cross in 2013

Known variously (and sometimes controversially) as the “New Routemaster”, “New Bus for London” or “BorisBus” this latest addition to the streets of London is manufactured by Wrightbus of Northern Ireland, and briefly re-introduced the “hop-on hop-off” rear open platform which many passengers said they considered to be an important feature of the original Routemaster. However this is largely where the similarity ends, as these stylish vehicles are fitted with two staircases and are packed full of modern-day features including air conditioning and facilities to accommodate passengers with restricted mobility.

LT1 heading to Warminster from Imber in 2012

Although the design is already being demonstrated to other Cities around the world, at the present time these vehicles are only in regular use in London. However they are occasionally allowed to venture out on to special services outside the capital (including ours), so that experience can be gained of operating them in a less urban environment.

Further details of the New Routemaster and the background to its introduction can be found on Wikipedia, and on the websites of Transport for London and Wrightbus. A number of books have also been written on the history and development of the vehicle, including this one by a member of the Imberbus Team.

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