London Transport Red Arrow Bus Maps

All designs © Transport for London.

This is London’s new limited-stop flat-fare bus service—specially designed buses with room for 48 standing and 25 seated, running every 3 - 4 minutes to clear quickly the rush-hour crowds over this short and heavily used route. Outside the rush hours the Red Arrows provide a circular service ideal for Oxford Street shoppers.
Red Arrow APRIL 18 [1966] 266/299ML/25M	enlarge…	enlarge…
Following the success of ROUTE 500 (Victoria–Marble Arch) new Red Arrow bus routes are to link other main-line stations with the City and West End. Waterloo and Victoria will also be served. The new routes will provide fast and frequent flat-fare services for peak-hour travelers and for shoppers. Red Arrows are specially-designed single-deck buses, with room for 48 standing and 25 seated, to clear the queues over short and busy routes.
Red Arrow SEPTEMBER 7 [1968] 868/2005RP/120M(1)TT	enlarge…	enlarge…
Red Arrow buses now link these main-line stations with the City and West End. The routes provide fast and frequent flat-fare services for peak-hour travelers and for shoppers. Red Arrows are specially-designed single-deck buses, with room for 48 standing and 25 seated, to clear the queues over short and busy routes.
Red Arrow [1968] 868/2005RP/50M(2)TT	enlarge…	enlarge…
New Red Arrow 508 now connects Marylebone Station with Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and the Shaftsbury Avenue area. Bus 505 serves Waterloo Station and Marble Arch all day; it no longer serves Marylebone.
Red Arrow June 16, 1969 669/2133RP/25M/TT	enlarge…	enlarge…
Starting October 27, New Red Arrow 509 will be introduced to connect Victoria Station with the Knightsbridge area. Bus 508 will be withdrawn but Marylebone Station will continue to be linked with Oxford Street by New Bus 55 on which normal fares will apply.
Red Arrow OCTOBER 25 [1969] 969/3334RP/25M
Red Arrow bus 509 now runs a one-way loop service from Victoria Station to Sloane Square, Knightsbridge, Royal Albert Hall, Cromwell Road and Brompton Road returning to Victoria Station. Marylebone Station is now served by double-deck bus 55 on which normal fares apply.
Red Arrow October 1969 1069/3693RP/10M(A)	enlarge…	enlarge…
Starting January 24, new Red Arrow bus 513 will run between Waterloo and London Bridge stations by way of Aldwych, Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill and Cannon Street, replacing bus 13 between Aldwych and London Bridge. Red Arrow bus 501 will also run to London Bridge station replacing bus 7 between Holborn and London Bridge and will no longer serve Aldgate.
Red Arrow January 24 [1971] 1269/4395RP/20M
Red Arrow buses link these main-line stations with the City and West End. The routes provide fast and frequent flat-fare services for peak-hour travelers and for shoppers. Red Arrows are specially-designed single-deck buses, with room for 48 standing and 25 seated, to clear the queues over short and busy routes.
Red Arrow [February 1971] 271/027RP/5M

Red Arrow 1974 1273/357RP/20M(A)	enlarge…	enlarge…

Red Arrow 1976 476/207RP/15M(A)	enlarge…	enlarge…
This diagrammatic fold-out map of the Red Arrow network dates from June 1976. At that time the routes operated were 500 (Victoria–Oxford Circus), 501 (Waterloo–London Bridge via Holborn), 502 (Waterloo–Liverpool Street), 503 (Victoria–Waterloo via Westminster), 506 (Victoria–Piccadilly), 507 (Victoria–Waterloo via Lambeth Bridge) and 513 (Waterloo–London Bridge via Fleet Street). Along with the route diagram it shows frequencies and times of first and last buses. It dates from a time when the network was significantly larger than the two routes that ran until recently.
Red Arrow 1976 676/207RP/15M(A)	enlarge…	enlarge…

Red Arrow 500 now runs on from Oxford Street, down Regent Street, through Piccadilly Circus, around Trafalgar Square, along Whitehall, across Parliament Square, into Victoria Street and back to Victoria. And vice-versa.
Red Arrow 500 is going around in circles. [January 1981] 181/1092H/150,000	enlarge…	enlarge…