As listed on ...

A brief history

London bus route 19 has run continuously between Highbury and Battersea for 118 years, initially as route H and from 1908 as route 19, with extensions at both ends for part of that time.   

The London Road-Car Company (trading as Union Jack and flying the union flag to distinguish themselves from the ‘French’ London General Omnibus Company - LGOC) introduced their route H in July 1906, running from Highbury Barn via Angel Islington, Bloomsbury Way, Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park Corner, Sloane Square and Battersea Bridge to Clapham Junction.  

In July 1908, Union Jack merged with LGOC and four months later was operationally absorbed into the LGOC and route H was renumbered 19. 

By August 1917, route 19 was operated by Battersea (B) and Holloway (J) garages, the two garages that would operate the route together for 54 years.  Early operation would have been by B type buses, replaced by 1923 by 61 larger S and K types, in 1925 by 74 open top NSs and in October 1926 by 76 covered-top NSs running every 2 minutes. 

With the introduction of the Bassom regime of route numbering in June 1925, the Highbury Barn to Clapham Junction route became the 19C.  Six months later, the full route 19 was extended to Upper Tooting (Tooting Bec), then from Easter 1926, the 19 was extended on Sundays to Streatham Common, with the Monday to Saturday service renumbered 19D. 

In March 1927, the full route extended north from Highbury Barn to Finsbury Park, where it terminated in Rock Street, running as 19D to Tooting Bec on weekdays and 19 to Streatham Common on Sundays.  The main service remained the 19C Highbury Barn – Clapham Junction. 

For summer 1932, the Sunday route 19 was extended in May via Purley Way and Purley to Kenley and renumbered 119, reverting to the 19 to Streatham Common after the August Bank Holiday.  Summer 1933 and 1934 saw the 119 reappear, again replacing the 19 but running only as far as Croydon Aerodrome, between Easter and early October. 

The Bassom regime ended in October 1934 and all variations were renumbered 19, now with 68 NSs from Battersea and Holloway.  These lasted until the last year of NS operation, being replaced by STLs between March and June 1937, when Holloway and then Battersea were re-equipped.  In November 1937, brand new STL2377 was amongst those delivered to Holloway for routes 14, 19, 27A, 58 and 143. 

The 19 continued to operate daily between Finsbury Park and Tooting Bec, extended to Streatham Common on Sunday, until the Sunday extension was withdrawn in October 1957.  During this period, Battersea Bridge was closed from March 1950 to January 1951 due to a bridge strike by a collier, leading to a diversion via Chelsea Bridge. 

From January 1950, Battersea’s STLs were progressively replaced by RTLs and Holloway’s were replaced by RTs.  The difference was probably not appreciated by Battersea crews, especially as Holloway was known for tuning its RTs – the result being that more passengers would be carried on Battersea buses.  Battersea provided 46 RTLs and Holloway 34 RTs, giving a frequency between Highbury Barn and Clapham Junction of every 2-3 minutes.  After the 1958 bus strike, the number of buses was reduced to 58 and the service operated in two overlapping sections, Finsbury Park to Clapham Junction and Highbury Barn to Tooting Bec. 

Following the final RTW withdrawals in 1966, the RTLs were next and May 1967 saw a major cull, including those from Battersea.  The Battersea crews finally had the same steeds as their Holloway colleagues.  The RTs then carried on, quite late for a trunk route through the centre of London, not switching over to RMs until August 1972 (a month earlier on Sundays), with a requirement now down to 15 from Battersea and 28 from Highgate (HT), now renamed Holloway, the old Holloway (J) having closed in September 1971. 

The weekday route remained unchanged throughout the 1950s and 1960s, but between 1966 and 1972 the Sunday service was extended again to Streatham Garage.  As part of the expansion of one-person operation on Sundays, the section of route between Clapham Junction and Tooting Bec was withdrawn in July 1972 and replaced by new DMS-operated route 19A Battersea – Tooting Bec.  That route was withdrawn in September 1974, when the through service to Tooting Bec on the 19, by now Routemaster-operated, was reintroduced. 

From March 1975, certain journeys were extended beyond Finsbury Park to Tufnell Park, and the full Monday to Saturday service was thus extended between October 1984 and August 1985. 

Battersea garage closed in November 1985 and its operation on the 19 was transferred to Victoria (GM).   

The long-standing destination of Tooting Bec succumbed to one-person operation in November 1987, with the section between Clapham Junction and Tooting Bec being replaced by new route 219, except on Sundays. The Sunday service on the 19 had already been converted to one-person operation (using M class Metrobuses from HT) from June 1987 and continued to run to Tooting Bec.  In May 1991, the 19 was shortened again daily to the current Finsbury Park – Battersea Bridge, with operation solely by Victoria (GM) with a mix of RMs and RMLs - but not for long.   

In April 1993, following the first tender of the route, operation moved to Kentish Bus using RMLs working from a succession of temporary sites in Battersea (BA).  At this time, there was no requirement for London buses to be red and Kentish Bus chose a smart route-branded version of their maroon and cream livery.  Sunday operation was by one-person operated Olympians based in north-east London.  Kentish Bus was a subsidiary of Proudmutual, which was acquired in July 1994 by British Bus Group, who in turn were acquired by Cowie Group in August 1996 and renamed Arriva in November 1997.  With the exception of five years with Go-Ahead and Boxing Days in 1993 to 1999, operation by Arriva companies has continued ever since. 

Boxing Day operation reverted to Holloway (HT), now operated by London Northern, using Ms for 1993 and 1994, then to Capital CityBus using Dennis Dominators from Northumberland Park (NP) for 1995 to 1999.  Capital CityBus became part of First Group in July 1998. 

In February 1998, Sunday operation was transferred within Arriva to Grey Green at Stamford Hill (SF), the Kentish Bus Olympians being replaced by green, grey and orange Volvos.  Then in March 2000 Stamford Hill closed and Sunday operation moved again to Tottenham (AR), using (red) Ms, then moved again the following month on a new contract with Arriva London South to Brixton (BN), using Ms and then L class Olympians.  Finally, Sunday operation was converted back to crew operation with RMLs from Battersea (BA) in September 2001. 

By 2005, the 19 was one of the last six crew-operated routes in London, using 26 RMLs.  The last day of Routemaster operation on Friday 1 April 2005 was attended by various guest buses, including the London Bus Museum’s STL2377.  Low-floor one man operation necessitated the out-stationing from Battersea of up to 7 buses at Norwood (N) garage.  In November 2009, Battersea (BA) closed and operation moved to Brixton (BN). 

The route 19 contract was won from March 2012 by Go-Ahead London General and worked from Stockwell (SW), using new WVL class Volvos.  In an echo of a century earlier, operation was split from March 2015 between garages north and south of the river, this time Northumberland Park (NP) and Stockwell. 

However, from April 2017, a new contract won by Arriva London North commenced, with operation from Tottenham (AR).  Initially using HV class Volvos, LT class New Routemasters were phased in from October 2019, with full conversion completed the following June.  Operation by Arriva using New Routemasters continues, but moved to re-opened Stamford Hill (SF) garage in August 2024.