London’s Lost Trolleybus Network: A Map Reveals Vast Coverage

A map from 1946 shows old London trolleybus and tram routes. Many London boroughs had these services. Electric vehicles aren’t new; trolleybuses ran nearly 100 years ago. Londoners rode trolleybuses and trams until the early 1960s.

Many routes served London, including all-night options. The map shows 1947 routes. Trolleybuses reached Dartford, Uxbridge, Barkingside, and Sutton.

Before trams, horses moved London – over 300,000 of them. By 1914, trams mostly replaced horses. Trams carried 800 million riders annually.

Even Westminster Bridge had tram tracks. The last tram ran in 1952, going from Woolwich to New Cross. People said goodbye during “last tram week.”

Trolleybuses then arrived in 1935. They began replacing trams slowly due to World War II. London’s trolleybus network became the world’s largest, boasting 1,764 buses and 225 miles of routes.

Trolleybuses used old tram infrastructure. This included power stations and cables. People first called them “Diddlers,” reasons unknown. Later trolleybuses were double-deckers with seventy seats.

They looked like regular motor buses back then. Sadly, petrol vehicles replaced electric ones by the 1960s. Most buses were sold to Spain and used until 1979.

Those old trams and buses differ from today’s trams. South London brought trams back in 2000 though.