On the Surface 1945 to today

May Half Term: Routes and Roundels

Fuel your imagination at our Festival of Curiosity this half term as your family enjoy curious and creative problem-solving challenges and meet real-world engineers. Follow our STEAM-inspired family trail, join an interactive workshop or storytelling session, and much more!

Down Street: Churchill's secret station

Experience the Railway Executive Committee’s bomb-proof headquarters during World War II, the warren of tunnels where Churchill sheltered.

Plan your school visit

Find the information you need to plan and book your visit to London Transport Museum in Covent Garden or the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton, west London.

After the Second World War, London’s surface transport services were badly dilapidated, but carried more passengers than ever.

From the 1950s, the use of buses began to decline, as they were less efficient due to congestion from cars and a low priority for government spending. The now-iconic Routemaster entered service in 1959, replacing trolleybuses.

At its peak in 1950, London Transport had 100,000 staff and was London’s biggest employer. Its large workforce increasingly reflected London’s greater diversity, directly recruiting women and staff from around the world, including the Caribbean.

After investing in new accessible buses, the long decline in London’s bus services was reversed in the late 1990s. Bus use increased year on year for more than ten years. Since 2000, London’s transport services have been run by Transport for London (TfL). While it is not as large an organisation as London Transport at its peak, it has incorporated more modes of transport than ever before.