Editing AEC Routemaster (section)

==Rise and decline==
===Peak use by London Transport===
The peak era of the Routemaster was in its first 25 years of operation, until September 1982, when the type started to be withdrawn and transferred to training fleets, due to service reductions.

The first London bus route to be operated by the Routemaster was [[London Buses route 2|route 2]], on 8 February 1956, with RM1. The same bus, with a revised front end, appeared at the [[Lord Mayor's Show]] in November 1956.<ref>{{cite book |author=Marshall, Prince  |title=Wheels of London |publisher=The Sunday Times Magazine |year=1972 |isbn=0-7230-0068-9 |page=108}}</ref> The RM class entered service from 1959 to replace trolleybuses, which finished in May 1962. Subsequent Routemasters, the last 500 of which were RMLs, began replacing the previous generation of buses, the [[AEC Regent III RT|AEC Regent RT]] and [[Leyland Titan (front-engined double-decker)|Leyland Titan]] RTL and RTW. RMLs also displaced RMs on central routes to cope with higher loadings.<ref name=CountryBusRML/> The last Routemaster entered service in March 1968.

The original concept included the routine overhaul and refurbishment of the fleet at LT's Aldenham Works, usually every five years. The buses were completely stripped down and rebuilt, and left the works almost as new. As the number of Routemasters declined, financial cutbacks and newer buses not suited to this practice were introduced, the overhaul routine was abandoned and Aldenham Works closed in November 1986.<ref name=KBlackerVol2/> The thoroughness of the Aldenham system was the primary reason why the Routemaster and its predecessors lasted so long in London service.

===Decline in London===
[[File:London DMS Fleetline and Routemaster.jpg|left|thumb|[[Daimler Fleetline]] DMS1 and RM1737 at the [[London Transport Museum]] in January 2008]]

Many routes were converted to [[driver-only operation]] ("DOO" or "OMO") in the 1970s, to reduce operating costs and in response to staff shortages. There was also for a time a parts shortage for Routemasters, aggravated by the closure of AEC.<ref name=CountryBusRML3>[http://www.countrybus.org/RML/RML3.html#top The Long Buses Part 3] Country Bus</ref> With the introduction of single-deck [[Red Arrow (London Buses)|Red Arrow]] services and successful conversion to modern, rear-engined OMO buses around the country, London Transport considered replacing Routemasters with modern buses.

The operation of the Routemaster gradually contracted to central areas only, with RMLs replacing RMs, where it was felt that the Routemaster still provided an efficient means of transporting large enough numbers of people to justify the economics of two-crew operation.<ref name=CountryBusRML2>[http://www.countrybus.org/RML/RML2.html#top The Long Buses 2] Country Bus</ref> The rapid acceleration and rugged construction of the Routemaster proved to be more suited to urban conditions than some more modern designs.<ref name=CountryBusRML2/>

The fleet remained largely intact for around 15 years after production ended in 1968, with withdrawals mainly due to fires. Following the defeat of the [[Greater London Council]] in the [[House of Lords]] over [[London Transport Executive (GLC)#Fares policy|its subsidised fare scheme]], major service reductions followed in September 1982. Consequently, the first withdrawals commenced, with many of these early disposals being for scrap. The continued practice of route conversion to one-person operation resulted in a steady trickle of withdrawals. This practice had largely halted by 1988, with comparatively few withdrawn up to 1992. 12 of the withdrawals were purchased by [[Southend-on-Sea Corporation Transport|Southend Transport]] in 1988 and were run until 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sct61.org.uk/gallery/psrpm/ssn113|title=Don't forget the crews|website=SCT61|access-date=16 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FBIMEQAAQBAJ&dq=%22southend+transport%22&pg=PA1992|title=RM70 – Seventy Years of a London Icon|author=Malcolm Batten|date=2024|isbn=9781398123625|publisher=Amberley Publishing}}</ref>

In 1986 some of the Routemasters purchased from British European Airways, London Country and Northern General, which had doors rather than an open platform, were overhauled at Aldenham Works and put in service on London Transport's revived sightseeing operation [[London Coaches|The Original London Sightseeing Tour]], alongside RCLs (some converted to open top buses),<ref name=CountryBusRCL2>[http://www.countrybus.org/RCL/RCL2.html The Long Coaches] Country Bus</ref> RMFs<ref name=CountryBusRMF/> and RMAs.<ref name=CountryBusRMA2/><ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/17th-may-1986/14/london-buses-steps-up-sightseeing London Buses steps up sightseeing] ''Commercial Motor'' 17 May 1986</ref>

===Privatisation of London Buses===
[[File:Two Routemasters in London.jpg|thumb|right|RML2724 and RML2680 wearing [[First London]] and [[London General]] post-privatisation paint schemes]]

In April 1989, in preparation for the [[privatisation of London bus services]], London Buses was divided into 11 arm's-length business units based on different garages. Eight units inherited Routemasters: [[First London|CentreWest]], [[East London (bus company)|East London]], [[Arriva London|Leaside]], [[London Central]], [[London General]], [[Metroline|London Northern]], [[London United Busways|London United]] and [[Arriva London|South London]].<ref name=CountryBusRML4/> During this time, following the failure and premature withdrawal of heralded replacement vehicle classes such as the [[Daimler Fleetline]]s, the Routemasters that had not yet been disposed of saw their lives extended for use until privatisation. Where new route tenders called for Routemaster operation, these were leased from London Buses.<ref name=CountryBusRML4>[http://www.countrybus.org/RML/RML4.html The Long Buses Part 4] Country Bus</ref>

Between September and November 1994, all of the business units were sold. In the new London route tendering process, all but one of the Routemaster-operated routes ([[London Buses route 139|139]]) retained their now privately owned Routemasters<ref name=RMAssocHistory/> for the five-year contract period and further refurbishments resulted.

===Life extensions===
[[File:First London Routemaster bus RM1640 (640 DYE) heritage route 9 Trafalgar Square 8 July 2006.jpg|thumb|[[First London]] [[Marshall Bus]] refurbished RM1640 on [[London Buses route 9 (Heritage)|Heritage route 9]] in July 2006]]

Following the ending of production at [[Associated Equipment Company|AEC]] [[Southall]], and the later closure of the Aldenham Works, new options for extending the life of the Routemaster became necessary if they were to continue to run. This made sense as, even by 1987, when some buses looked decidedly worn out, inspections by London Buses revealed the basic structure of the buses was still sound,<ref name=CountryBusRML3/> requiring only replacement of engines and interior/exterior renewal.

From 1992 to 1994, all but two of the RMLs were refurbished for ten years' further service. This work, which included updating the interior to modern tastes and substituting [[Cummins]] or [[Iveco]] engines, was carried out by [[South Yorkshire Transport]], TB Precision, Nottingham Truck & Bus and by one of the new London Buses business units, Leaside Buses. One hundred RMs were also re-engined.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=7 March 1992 |issue=3 |page=13 |title=RM is reborn at last |magazine=[[Coach & Bus Week]]|location=Peterborough |publisher=Emap}}</ref><ref name=RMAssocHistory/> Post-privatisation, in 1996, [[London Central]]'s RMs on [[London Buses route 36|route 36]], [[Stagecoach London]]'s RMLs for routes [[London Buses route 8|8]] and [[London Buses route 15|15]], and [[Arriva London]]'s RMs for [[London Buses route 159|route 159]] received new [[Scania AB|Scania]] engines and a number of subtle reworks including hopper style windows.<ref name=RMAssocHistory/>

In 2001/02, under new [[Mayor of London]] [[Ken Livingstone]], [[Transport for London]] (TfL) purchased 50 RMs from a variety of sources, including Reading Mainline and two from Italy. Of these, 43 were refurbished by [[Marshall Bus]] between May 2001 and August 2002, receiving Cummins engines coupled to an [[Allison Transmission|Allison]] automatic gearbox. They also received a full body overhaul including new hopper windows. The first 22 were leased to [[London Sovereign]] for use on [[London Buses route 13|route 13]] with ten going to [[Arriva London]] for use on [[London Buses route 38|route 38]] and others to [[First London]], [[London Central]] and [[London United Busways|London United]]. After Marshall Bus went into administration, Arriva London completed a further six, albeit without the heavy body overhauls and retaining the quarter-drop windows.<ref name=KBlackerVol2/>

===Withdrawal from London===
[[File:Routemaster and modern buses.jpg|thumb|right|[[Arriva London]]'s RML2574 on [[London Buses route 159|route 159]] in December 2005 with its replacements, a modern double decker and an articulated bus]]
[[File:2217Arrives.JPG|thumb|[[Arriva London]]'s RM2217 arrives at [[Brixton bus garage]] with the last scheduled Routemaster service on 9 December 2005]]
[[File:Arriva London Routemaster bus RM54 (LDS 279A), Whitehall, route 159, 9 December 2005.jpg|thumb|[[Arriva London]]'s RM54 on [[Whitehall]] on 9 December 2005]]

At the beginning of the 2000s, there was debate concerning the issue of whether to replace or retain the Routemaster in London service. Supporters cited its continued mechanical fitness, speed of boarding and tourist potential, while opponents pointed to the economics of running increasingly elderly buses when newer, larger, accessible buses were now available.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{Cite web |date=4 December 1998 |title=Ken Livingstone answers your questions |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/227374.stm |access-date=2021-08-27 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> Opponents also pointed specifically to the lack of accessibility of the Routemaster in light of impending relevant legislation, which meant all new buses now entering service in London would be required to have a [[Low-floor bus|low-floor]] design. The emergence of off-bus ticketing technology also reduced the argument for better dwell times, whereby the [[Oyster card]] and off-bus ticket machines would reduce the time it took passengers to board the bus.

Livingstone was initially supportive of retaining the Routemasters and their conductors,<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/> reintroducing 49 refurbished buses into service.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Roger |last2=Livingstone |first2=Ken |date=2005-06-13 |title=Routemaster Refurbishment |url=https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2005/1222 |access-date=2021-08-27 |website=Mayor's Question Time}}</ref> However, Livingstone decided to replace the Routemaster fleet with low-floor buses, following a campaign by disabled rights groups, the large number of people injured by falling off the open rear platform and a realisation of the difficulty of trying to use high-floor buses with his children.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Livingstone |first=Ken |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/785989207 |title=You can't say that : memoirs |date=2012 |publisher=Faber And Faber |isbn=978-0-571-28041-4 |location=London |oclc=785989207 |quote=One Londoner in ten found it impossible to climb onto a Routemaster. That didn't include people struggling with luggage or shopping or babies. I only understood the problem when I started taking Tom and Mia out in the buggy.}}</ref>

In March 2003, [[Peter Hendy]], then managing director of Surface Transport for TfL noted that the implementation of a low floor, accessible bus fleet was a higher priority than keeping the historic Routemaster buses.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Webster |first=Ben |date=19 March 2003 |title=Routemasters put on road to retirement |language=en |work=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/advice/routemasters-put-on-road-to-retirement-s3cf2sstg9h |access-date=2022-06-16 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> Despite criticism from the media and the public,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lydall |first=Ross |date=20 June 2005 |title=Routemaster's last hurrah |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/routemaster-s-last-hurrah-7187894.html |access-date=2021-08-27 |website=[[Evening Standard]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-02-07 |title=Bus backlash as mayor rings the changes |url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/feb/07/transport.london |access-date=2021-08-27 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> remaining services were consequently replaced from August 2003 onwards by low-floor double decker or [[Articulated buses in London|articulated buses]], as existing bus contracts were renewed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 2003 |title=London Buses – Bendy buses |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/ini_207.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041209104222/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/ini_207.shtml |archive-date=9 December 2004 |access-date= |website=Transport for London}}</ref>

Withdrawals began on the dates below as the five-year contracts expired.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Route!!Ceased!!Operator!!Replaced by
|-
|[[London Buses route 15|15]]||29 August 2003||[[East London (bus company)|East London]]||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 11|11]]||31 October 2003||[[London General]]||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 23|23]]||14 November 2003||[[First London]]||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 94|94]]||23 January 2004||[[London United Busways|Transdev London United]]||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 6|6]]||26 March 2004||[[Metroline]]||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 98|98]]||26 March 2004||Metroline||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 8|8]]||4 June 2004||East London||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 7|7]]||2 July 2004||First London||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 137|137]]||9 July 2004||[[Arriva London]]||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 9|9]]||3 September 2004||Transdev London United||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 73|73]]||3 September 2004||Arriva London||articulated buses
|-
|[[London Buses route 390|390]]||3 September 2004||Metroline||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 12|12]]||5 November 2004||[[London Central]]||articulated buses
|-
|[[London Buses route 36|36]]||28 January 2005||London Central||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 19|19]]||1 April 2005||Arriva London||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 14|14]]||22 July 2005||London General||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 22|22]]||22 July 2005||London General||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 13|13]]||21 October 2005||[[London Sovereign|Transdev London Sovereign]]||double-deckers
|-
|[[London Buses route 38|38]]||28 October 2005||Arriva London||articulated buses
|-
|[[London Buses route 159|159]]||9 December 2005||Arriva London||double-deckers
|}

On 8 December 2005, 24 special buses, including preserved RMs and RMLs and their predecessors from the [[AEC Regent III RT]] bus family made guest appearances on route 159.<ref>[http://www.classicbuses.co.uk/+RM3.html The Routemaster in 2005 – The End] Classic Irish Buses</ref>

On 9 December 2005, the last Routemasters ran on [[London Buses route 159|route 159]].<ref name=":15">{{Cite news |date=2005-12-09 |title=Routemaster makes final journey |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4510410.stm |access-date=2021-08-26}}</ref> On police advice, instead of doing a normal shift until around 23:00, the last Routemaster services ran in the middle of the day. RM2217 operated the final departure from [[Marble Arch]] at 12:08. Heavily delayed, it took 10 minutes to turn the final corner into [[Brixton bus garage]], arriving at 14:06. The last services were greeted by crowds of bus enthusiasts, as well as disability rights protesters welcoming the withdrawal.<ref name=":15" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=10 Dec 2005 |title=Thousands bid adieu to Routemaster bus |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2005/dec/10/thousands-bid-adieu-to-routemaster-bus/ |access-date=2021-08-27 |website=[[Spokesman Review]] |quote=But there were a few dissenters who turned out Friday, including disability rights protesters who held placards saying: “Routemaster good riddance.”}}</ref>

As a consequence of the withdrawal, all London bus routes used low-floor buses by January 2006, thanks to the largest accessible bus fleet in the world.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |date=14 December 2007 |title=Transport for London wins Independent Living Award |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2007/december/transport-for-london-wins-independent-living-award |access-date=2021-08-10 |website=Transport for London |language=en-GB |quote=We have the biggest wheelchair accessible bus network in the world}}</ref>