Editing AEC Routemaster (section)

===London heritage routes===
[[File:East London Routemaster RM1968 (ALD 968B) 30 June 2008 heritage route 15 Ludgate Hill cropped.jpg|thumb|[[East London (bus company)|East London]] Routemaster on [[London Buses route 15 (Heritage)|Heritage route 15]] on [[Ludgate Hill]] in June 2008]]

In November 2005 heritage routes [[London Buses route 9 (Heritage)|9]] and [[London Buses route 15 (Heritage)|15]] were introduced, operating daily until 18:30, duplicating short sections of two regular London bus routes.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4435332.stm Touring Routemasters hit the road] ''BBC News'' 14 November 2005</ref> Heritage Routes 9 and 15 were withdrawn on 25 July 2014 and 29 September 2019.<ref name="TfLRoute9">[https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/route-9 Bus service proposal: Route 9] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928181144/https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/route-9/ |date=28 September 2021 }} Transport for London</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.keybuses.com/article/tfl-confirms-heritage-routemasters-wont-return?hss_channel=tw-3029862525|title=TfL confirms Heritage Routemasters won't return|work=keybuses.com|date=9 April 2021 |access-date=10 April 2021}}</ref>

The two operators, [[First London]] and [[East London (bus company)|Stagecoach London]], each operated ten buses selected from the batch overhauled by [[Marshall Bus]] in 2001/02.<ref name=AECsInService>{{cite web |url=http://www.busweb.co.uk/aecbus/inservice.htm |title=AECs in service |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171127094108/http://www.busweb.co.uk/AECbus/inservice.htm |archive-date=27 November 2017 |website=AEC Bus Site |url-status=dead}}</ref>

During the operation of Heritage Route 15, Stagecoach East London refurbished their Routemasters, removing some of the modern features that had been added during the Marshall refurbishments and replacing them with replicas of the original equipment. This was done by [[Go South Coast|Hants & Dorset Trim]], and involved a full overhaul and repaint inside and out, the return of gold lettering, black registration plates and fitting of modern [[Light-emitting diode|LED]] indicators on the front and LED indicators and lights on the rear. (The LED assemblies were designed to appear similar to the round lights that were originally fitted.) The yellow hand rails were replaced with white-coated steel ones, also a nod to the original design. The first refurbished vehicle was delivered back to Stagecoach East London in January 2016.

TfL confirmed the cancellation of the heritage routes in 2021, thus ending scheduled service with the Routemaster temporarily anywhere in London.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.keybuses.com/article/tfl-confirms-heritage-routemasters-wont-return |title=TfL confirms heritage Routemasters won't return |first=Mark |last=Lyons |work=Key Buses |location=UK |date=9 April 2021 |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref>

In 2022, TfL approved the opening of a privately operated tourist heritage route, by operator Londoner Buses. From 15 October 2022, Route A commenced from [[London Waterloo railway station|Waterloo station]] to [[Piccadilly Circus]]. The route goes past iconic attractions like [[Big Ben]] and [[Westminster Bridge]], and is solely operated by AEC Routemaster buses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Londoner Buses – See London by heritage bus! |url=https://www.londonerbuses.co.uk/about |access-date=2022-09-28 |website=www.londonerbuses.co.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Waywell |first=Chris |title=There's a new regular London bus route using vintage Routemasters |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/theres-a-new-regular-london-bus-route-using-vintage-routemasters-101222 |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=Time Out London |date=12 October 2022 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Unlike previous heritage routes, a higher price is charged than the standard TfL bus fare, however the ticket is valid all day.<ref name=":0" /> In October 2023 route A was replaced by route T15, which mostly parallels TfL's previous Heritage route 15 and runs from Waterloo station via Charing Cross, Aldwych, and the City, to [[Tower Gateway DLR station]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Londoner Buses – See London by heritage bus! |url=https://www.londonerbuses.co.uk/about |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=www.londonerbuses.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>