01 October 2025
October is Black History Month, which for London TravelWatch is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the contributions the Black community has made to London’s transport system over the years.
Joe Clough – London’s first Black bus driver
Joe Clough holds the distinction of being London’s first Black bus driver. Born in Jamaica in 1885, he moved to Britain with a former employer and trained as a bus driver with the London General Omnibus Company.
In 1910, Joe began driving a motorbus through the streets of London – a groundbreaking achievement at a time when both racial and colonial prejudices were rife. During World War I, he served as an ambulance driver in France, further demonstrating his commitment to public service.
Picture courtesy of LondonRemembers.com
Asquith Xavier – challenged the British Railways colour bar
In 1966, Asquith Xavier, a railway worker from Dominica, challenged a ban that prevented non-white workers from transferring from roles such as cleaners and labourers to customer-facing roles at British Railways. Xavier took a stand against this racial discrimination and, following much persistence, he successfully overturned the ban and became the first non-white train guard at London’s Euston Station.
There are plaques to commemorate Xavier’s achievements and role in fighting for equality at both Euston station as well as his hometown of Chatham in Kent.
Read more about Asquith Xavier
Agatha Claudette Hart – London’s first Black female bus conductor
Hart worked as a bus conductor for London Transport at Stockwell bus garage, and is believed to be London’s first black bus conductor. She was one of hundreds of young West Indian women recruited during the 1950s and 60s. In 1968, London Transport estimated it had 9,000 black staff (in a workforce of 73,000).
Read more about Agatha Claudette Hart
Trudy Aarons – Britain’s first Black female train driver
Trudy was born in Barbados and left to come to Britain aged 16. After leaving college, she worked at the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes in Kennington before leaving to start a family.
Once her children were in school, Trudy joined British Rail as a guard in 1989 before training to become a driver and becoming British Rail’s first black woman driver. She retired in 2018, after 29 years on the railway working for British Rail, South West Trains, and South Western Railway.
Louis Bruce – London’s first Black tram driver
Louis Bruce is thought to have been one of London’s first Black tram drivers getting his licence to drive trams in 1900 and appears to have driven until at least 1922. In 2022 he was also revealed to be Britain’s first Black Olympian, having competed in wrestling at the 1908 London Olympics.
The Windrush Generation
Windrush Monument at Waterloo station
In the post–war period, Britain’s labour shortages led to the recruitment of workers from the Caribbean – known as the Windrush Generation. Many found employment with London Transport as conductors, drivers and engineers.
These men and women often faced overt racism, discrimination and social exclusion, yet their contributions were critical to London’s transport operations. These contributions were recognised by the naming of the Windrush line which runs through areas with strong ties to Caribbean communities.
Last year, TfL marked Black History Month with the release of the Windrush episode of the successful Mind the Gap podcast. The episode explored the fascinating history of the Windrush generation and its links to the London Overground line.
Black History tube map
The London Transport Museum published a new Tube map in 2021 following a collaboration between Black Cultural Archives and Transport for London (TfL) to celebrate Black history in London. View the Black History Month tube map and find out more
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