London bus route that's 1 of the busiest despite being really short

At first glance, the W7 bus route, spanning a mere 2.6 miles, might seem a tad over the top. But don't be fooled - it's one of London's most frequent bus services, showing up as often as every three minutes during weekday rush hours and needing an impressive fleet of 17 double-decker buses to keep it running smoothly.

The W7 is essentially TfL's 'small but mighty' offering. Starting at Finsbury Park, it trundles almost in a straight line up Stroud Green Road to Crouch End Broadway, before making the climb to Muswell Hill Broadway, where it completes its journey on a roundabout.

It's like London's very own ski lift. Finsbury Park is just 30 metres above sea level, Crouch Hill sits at 45 metres, and Muswell Hill tops out at a breath-taking 105 metres.

Only the super fit with a spare set of clothes at the ready would consider tackling these two hills on foot.

Given that Muswell Hill and Crouch Hill aren't directly served by the Tube, and Finsbury Park is, the W7 becomes a lifeline, ferrying around 6 million passengers annually over the past decade up and down these two North London inclines.

It's the busiest sub-three-mile route on London's bus network, consistently ranking within the top 150 of London's 700 each year.

One of the W7's biggest selling points is its relatively short route, allowing it to function like a self-contained shuttle.

At the northern end, buses start and finish their journeys on a roundabout - a sight seldom seen in London due to potential traffic issues.

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