The Ghost Bus of West London — Real Story or Urban Legend?
London’s Phantom Double-Decker: A Real Haunting or Local Folklore?
London is full of strange stories — underground rivers, lost cemeteries, haunted theatres. But few legends are as bizarre (or oddly specific) as this one:
A phantom red double-decker bus that once terrorised West London drivers.
We're not talking about a spooky pub or a creaky Victorian house. We're talking about a real bus route, with headlights, wheels, and an apparent death wish.
Locals call it: The Ghost Bus of West London.
But is there any truth to it? Or is this just a well-driven urban myth?
Let’s dive into one of London’s most chilling transport legends — and the strange story behind the haunted Number 7.
The Tale of the Ghost Bus
The story begins in the 1930s and centres on a very specific location:
📍 Cambridge Gardens & Ladbroke Grove Junction, in Notting Hill.
Multiple reports described a bizarre phenomenon — a 1930s-style double-decker bus with no driver, no passengers, and no route number. It would appear suddenly at night, roaring around the corner at full speed, often causing real drivers to swerve or crash trying to avoid it.
Here's what made it extra weird:
It always came at 1:15 AM
The bus made no sound
Its headlights were on, but the interior was pitch-black
It disappeared before it ever passed you
Locals described it as ghostly but physical — as if it were there… but not quite.
The Fatal Crash That Sparked the Legend
The legend really gained traction after a fatal car crash at that very junction.
A driver reportedly lost control while swerving to avoid a red double-decker, only for investigators to find — wait for it — no bus at all.
No witnesses saw a real bus. No routes were scheduled at that hour. The street was otherwise deserted.
And yet, this crash was real. Documented. Reported in The London Evening Standard in the 1950s. Some even claimed the victim had mentioned seeing the “phantom bus” before.
That’s when locals began to talk — and the “Ghost Bus of West London” took on a life (or afterlife?) of its own.
Is It Just an Urban Legend?
Well… maybe. But here’s why the story stuck:
Multiple local residents independently reported seeing the same thing over the years
The intersection had an unusually high number of early-morning crashes
Bus route records from the 30s and 50s show no vehicle scheduled to be there at 1:15 AM
The reports stopped abruptly in the early 1990s — when the junction was redesigned and traffic lights were added
Coincidence? Maybe. But it’s strange how the sightings vanished along with the dangerous corner.
And while Transport for London (TfL) never confirmed anything spooky, they were aware of the lore — drivers on night shifts even had their own jokes about "catching the Number 7 to nowhere."
Where Exactly Did It Happen?
If you want to see the site yourself, head to:
📍 Ladbroke Grove at the junction with Cambridge Gardens, Notting Hill (W10)
Visit at your own risk… especially around 1:15 AM
Today, it looks ordinary — a slightly quiet bend in the road with some late-night traffic. But back then, the angle of the curve and poor lighting made it notoriously dangerous.
Some say the ghost bus was simply a way to explain reckless driving.
Others say… the road wasn’t the only thing haunted.
Was There Ever a Real “Number 7” Bus?
Yes — and no.
There was a Number 7 route in the 1930s, but it didn’t pass that exact junction
Some speculate the ghost bus was a decommissioned vehicle from a scrapyard or depot
Others believe it was a wartime relic — a driver or bus that vanished during the Blitz, still running its final route
There’s also a popular rumour that a Number 7 bus caught fire nearby in the 1940s, killing the driver — but no official record of this has ever surfaced.
That ambiguity? That’s what keeps a ghost story alive.
Could It Have Been a Hoax?
A few theories:
Local pranksters in the 1950s dressing up an old Routemaster and joyriding
A misidentified postal lorry or unmarked service vehicle
Mass suggestion — one story leads to others, and before you know it, people start seeing things
But again: multiple independent witnesses. A documented fatal crash. Consistent timing. And a mystery that conveniently stopped when the junction was rebuilt.
Even hardened skeptics admit — it’s a bit eerie.
Pop Culture & Retellings
The story of the West London ghost bus has been featured in:
BBC documentaries on urban legends
Local ghost tour scripts
A few independent horror short films, including one titled Route Unknown (2017)
And to this day, it pops up in forums, Reddit threads, and late-night pub conversations — especially among west Londoners.
So... What Was It?
A rogue bus with no schedule?
A trick of the mind?
A ghost stuck on a loop?
A story too good to let die?
We’ll probably never know. But next time you’re in Notting Hill late at night, and a double-decker appears out of nowhere... maybe just step aside.
Just in case.
Want to Explore London’s Haunted Side?
If this got you curious, there’s a whole other side of London waiting for you:
Highgate Cemetery – where ghost sightings are so frequent, they’ve been documented since the 60s
The Viaduct Tavern – a pub with prison cells in the basement and a reputation for slamming doors
Bleeding Heart Yard – the site of a legendary 17th-century murder still whispered about today
London doesn’t just do history — it does haunted history, better than anywhere.
Final Thoughts
The Ghost Bus of West London might not show up on Google Maps, but it’s very much part of London’s folklore.
A story passed down through decades, warning late-night drivers to stay sharp — or maybe just to respect the road.
Because sometimes, the city remembers things… even if we try to forget.
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