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Operation of the iconic London Routemaster on regular London routes "finished" on 9th December 2005 when they ran for the last time on service 159. But recognition of their role as a tourist attraction led to the introduction in 2006 of two heritage routes operated by Routemasters. Both were shortened versions of regular routes with the same numbers that operate through those corridors. Service 9 was operated by First London (Centrewest) between Albert Hall and Aldwych, later changed to run between Kensington and Trafalgar Square. It was taken over by Tower Transit in the summer of 2013 but is to be withdrawn on 25th July 2014 when the New Routemaster will take over operation of all journeys on service 9. Service 15 is operated by Stagecoach's East London Buses subsidiary between Trafalgar Square and Tower Hill, and continues to run in the summer of 2014. Although designated as a heritage service it operates like an ordinary bus route, seven days a week, it takes cash fares and all tickets and passes are valid - just like any ordinary bus service. The Routemasters used are owned by TfL and are some of the ones that were refurbished by Marshall and fitted with Cummins engines in the 1990s. They are leased to Stagecoach, but occasionally Stagecoach will use heritage Routemasters that they own alongside the TfL ones. Place mouse cursor over the thumbnail to view the caption. Click the thumbnail to see the large image.
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