Politicians hold London up as the epitome of bus travel. Elected Mayors in other metropolitan conurbations clamour to have ‘London style’ buses siting growth in bus travel in the Capital. Such a notion is outdated. Setting aside the impact of the pandemic, despite London’s population steadily increasing over the last decade (2011: 8.1 million; 2021: 9.4 million) the number of bus passengers has been consistently decreasing.
The need for emergency funding as a result of the pandemic highlighted just how precarious TfL’s finances had become, and it’s no surprise action is being taken to reduce the size of the bus network to reflect reduced numbers travelling, pandemic aside.
The reality of ‘London style’ buses is now regular reductions in timetables, and while the majority of bus routes still offer a ‘turn up and go’ frequency, this is now typically every 10-12 minutes or wider rather than 6-8 minutes or better as many passengers had become used to. The impact of these changes on passengers experiencing longer waits at the bus stop has yet to be seen.
This page tracks reductions in frequencies on a week by week basis that have been introduced by TfL since August 2021 and is regularly updated.
Interestingly the number of buses cut from schedules between the end of January 2021 and the end of January 2022 was 263 buses with the peak vehicle requirement dropping from 7,818 to 7,555.
The following 12 months to the end of January 2034 saw a net reduction of 134*buses bringing the PVR down further to 7,421*.
* subject to confirmation
The cuts by date of introduction since the current regime began in August 2021:
28th August 2021
Route 2 (Marylebone Station to Norwood) reduced in frequency from every 7.5 minutes to every 8-9 minutes.
Route 7 (Oxford Circus to East Acton) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 12 minutes.
Route 9 (Hammersmith to Aldwych) reduced in frequency from every 7.5 minutes to every 10 minutes (Sunday and evenings from every 10 to 12 minutes).
Route 16 (Victoria Station to Cricklewood) reduced in frequency from every 7.5 minutes to every 10 minutes (Sunday and evenings reduced from every 10 to 12 minutes).
Route 27 (Hammersmith to Chalk Farm) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes.
Route 30 (Hackney Wick to Marble Arch) frequency reduced from every 8-9 minutes to every 10 minutes.
Route 43 (Friern Barnet to London Bridge) reduced in frequency from every 6-7 minutes to every 8 minutes.
Route 113 (Edgware Station to Oxford Circus) – withdrawn between Marble Arch and Oxford Circus and reduced in frequency from every 7.5 minutes to every 8-9 minutes.
Route 148 (Camberwell Green to White City) reduced in frequency from every 7.5 minutes to every 10 minutes (Sunday and evenings reduced from every 10 to 12 minutes and night from every 20 to 30 minutes).
Route 159 (Streatham Station to Marble Arch) – withdrawn between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.
Route 507 (Waterloo Station to Victoria Station) reduced in frequency from every 6 minutes to every 7.5 minutes (peak frequency reduced from every 3-4 to 7.5 minutes).
Route 521 (Waterloo Station to London Bridge Station) peak frequency reduced from every 2-3 minutes to every 5 minutes).
Route N9 (Aldwych to Heathrow Airport Terminal 5) reduced in frequency from every 20 to every 30 minutes.
4th September 2021
Route 49 (Clapham Junction to White City) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes.
Route 253 (Hackney Central Station to Euston Station) reduced in frequency from every 6-7 minutes to every 8 minutes (Sunday and evenings reduced from every 8 to 10 minutes).
Route 254 (Aldgate Station to Holloway) reduced in frequency from every 6-7 minutes to every 8 minutes (Sunday and evenings redyced from every 8 to 10 minutes).
11th September 2021
Route 11 (Liverpool Street Station to Fulham Broadway) reduced in frequency from every 10 minutes to every 12 minutes.
Route 29 (Wood Green Station to Trafalgar Square) peak frequency reduced from every 4 minutes to every 5-6 minutes.
Route 59 (Euston Station to Streatham) reduced in frequency from every 6-7 minutes to every 7.5 minutes.
18th September 2021
Route 22 (Putney Common to Oxford Circus) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes.
Route 436 (Lewisham to Battersea Park Station) reduced in frequency from every 7.5 minutes to every 10 minutes.
Route D7 (Mile End Station to Polar) reduced in frequency from every 7.5 minutes to every 10 minutes.
25th September 2021
Route 277 (Dalston Junction to Crossharbour) reduced in frequency from every 6-7 minutes to every 10 minutes (Sunday and evenings from every 10 to 12 minutes).
2nd October 2021
Route 38 (Victoria Station to Clapton Pond) reduced in frequency from every 4-4.5 minutes to every 5 minutes as far as Hackney and from every 8-9 minutes to every 10 minutes beyond there to Clapton Pond.
9th October 2021
Route 17 (Archway Station to London Bridge Station) reduced in frequency from every 8-9 minutes to every 10 minutes.
Route 245 (Golders Green Station to Alperton) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes.
23rd October 2021
Route 19 (Finsbury Park to Battersea Bridge) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes.
Route 42 (Liverpool Street Station to East Dulwich) reduced in frequency from every 12 minutes to every 15 minutes.
Route 68 (Euston Station to West Norwood) reduced in frequency from every 8-9 minutes to every 10 minutes (peak frequency reduced from 7.5 to 8-9 minutes).
Route 88 (Parliament Hill Fields to Clapham Common) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes (with an extra morning peak journey).
Route 133 (Liverpool Street Station to Streatham Station) peak frequency reduced from every 5 minutes to every 7.5 minutes.
30th October 2021
Route A10 (Uxbridge Station and Heathrow Airport) reduced in frequency from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes (evenings from every 20 to every 30 minutes).
6th November 2021
Route 40 (Dulwich Library to Clerkenwell Green) peak frequency reduced from every 6-7 minutes to every 8-9 minutes and daytime from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes.
Route 188 (Russell Square to North Greenwich Station) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes.
13th November 2021
Route 13 (North Finchley to Victoria) reduced in frequency from every 6 minutes to every 8-9 minutes.
Route 168 (Hampstead Heath to Old Kent Road) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 8-9 minutes (evenings from every 11 to 12 minutes).
Route 414 (Maida Hill to Putney Bridge) withdrawn between Maida Hill and Marble Arch
20th November 2021
Route 87 (Aldwych to Wandsworth) reduced in frequency from every 6 minutes to every 7.5 minutes.
27th November 2021
Route 21 (Newington Green to Lewisham) reduced in frequency from every 6-7 minutes to every 8-9 minutes.
Route 76 (Waterloo to Tottenham Hale Station) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes with extra peak hour journeys withdrawn.
Route 91 (Trafalgar Square to Crouch End Broadway) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes with extra peak hour journeys withdrawn.
Route 92 (Ealing Hospital to St Raphael’s North) reduced in frequency from every 8-9 minutes to every 10 minutes (evenings from 10 to 12 minutes).
Route 242 (Aldgate Station to Homerton Hospital) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes.
2022
15th January 2022
Route 15 (Trafalgar Square to Blackwall Station) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 12 minutes.
Route 72 (East Acton to Hammersmith Bridge) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes with peak hour journeys withdrawn.
22nd January 2022
Route 73 (Oxford Circus to Stoke Newington) reduced in frequency from every 5 minutes to every 6 minutes.
Route 259 (Kings Cross to Edmonton Green) reduced in frequency from every 8-9 minutes to every 10 minutes (Sundays and evenings from 10 to 12 minutes with peak hour journeys withdrawn).
29th January 2022
Route 170 (Victoria Station to Roehampton) reduced in frequency from every 7.5 minutes to every 10 minutes.
12th February 2022
Route 14 (Putney Heath to Russell Square) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes (Mondays to Saturdays) taking 4 vehicles out reducing the requirement from 25 to 21 buses.
Route 453 (Marylebone to Deptford) reduced from every 5 minutes to every 6 minutes during peak hours taking 6 vehicles out reducing the requirement from 36 to 30.
19th February 2022
Route 390 (Victoria Station to Archway Station) reduced from every 4-5 minutes in the peaks and every 6 minutes off-peak to every 8-9 minutes taking 9 vehicles out reducing the requirement from 30 to 21 buses.
26th February 2022
Route 44 (Tooting Station to Victoria Station) reduced in frequency from every 8 minutes to every 10 minutes in Monday to Friday peak hours taking 4 vehicles out reducing the requirement from 20 to 16 buses.
28th March 2022
Route 329 (Enfield to Turnpike Lane) additional peak journeys withdrawn reducing the requirement from 16 to 15.
2nd April 2022
Route 12 (Dulwich to Oxford Circus) reduced in frequency from every 7-8 minutes to every 12 minutes reducing the requirement from 24 to 15 buses.
Route 171 (Bellingham to Elephant & Castle) reduced in frequency from every 8-9 minutes to every 12 minutes reducing the requirement from 20 to 15 buses.
30th April 2022
Route 3 (Crystal Palace to Trafalgar Square) reduced in frequency from every 8 to every 10 minutes reducing the requirement from 18 to 15 buses.
Route C10 (Canada Water to Victoria) new timetable reducing the requirement from 22 to 21 buses.
14th May 2022
A coordinated programme of changes to both routes and frequencies was introduced in south-east London in anticipation of the opening of the Elizabeth Line. These involved routes 129, 180, 472 and B11 which taken together reduced the peak vehicle requirement from 54 to 45 buses making a saving of nine.
21st May 2022
Route 23 (Westbourne Park to Hammersmith) reduced in frequency from every 8 to every 12 minutes (except on Saturdays which continue at every 8 minutes). Evening reduced from every 10 to every 12 minutes daily. Peak vehicle requirement reduced from 24 to 16 buses.
Another coordinated programme of changes to both routes and frequencies in south Newham in anticipation of the opening of the Elizabeth Line. These involved routes 101, 104, 241, 262, 300, 304, 330, 376 and 474 which taken together increased the peak vehicle requirement from 91 to 94 buses making an increase of three.
28th May 2022
Route 8 (Tottenham Court Road Station to Bow Church) reduced in frequency from every 6-7 to every 7.5 minutes reducing the requirement from 28 to 22 buses.
Route 205 (Paddington Station to Bow Church) reduced in frequency from every 8-9 to every 10 minutes reducing the requirement from 23 to 21 buses.
4th June 2022
Route 36 (New Cross Bus Garage to Queens Park Station) reduced in frequency from every 6 to every 7.5 minutes reducing thr requirement from 38 to 27 buses.
Route 52 (Willesden to Victoria) reduced in frequency from every 8-9 to every 10 minutes reducing the peak requirement from 26 to 18 buses.
11th June 2022
Route 159 (Streatham to Marble Arch) reduced in frequency from every 6-7 to every 8 minutes during Monday to Friday daytimes reducing the requirement from 25 to 20 buses.
Route 220 (Harlesden to Wandsworth) Monday to Friday peak hour service standardised to every 6-7 minutes reducing the requirement from 25 to 24 buses.
Route 243 (Wood Green to Waterloo) Monday to Friday daytime frequency reduced from every 7-8 to 8 every minutes reducing the requirement from 32 to 27 buses.
Route 341 (Lea Valley Tesco to County Hall) reduced in frequency from every 10 to every 12 minutes during the daytime reducing the requirement from 22 to 19 buses.
16th July 2022
Routes 209/378 (Mortlake to Hammersmith Bridge Castelnau/Putney Bridge Station) frequencies cut by half to every 30/15 minutes respectively reducing the requirement from 10 to 5 buses.
Route 218 (North Acton to Hammersmith) reduced in frequency from every 10 to every 12 minutes reducing the requirement from 11 to 9 buses.
23rd July 2022
Route W3 (Northumberland Park to Finsbury Park) peak hour frequency reduced from every 4 to every 6 minutes reducing the requirement from 23 to 21 buses.
10th October 2022
Route 94 (Acton Green to Piccadilly Circus) reduced in frequency from every 6 to every 7-8 minutes reducing the requirement from 25 to 20 buses.
15th October 2022
Route 184 (Barnet to Turnpike Lane) reduced in frequency to every 10 minutes reducing the requirement from 20 to 16 buses.
22nd October 2022
Route 134 (North Finchley to Warren Street Station) Monday to Friday peak hour service reduced in frequency from every 6-7 to every 8 minutes reducing the requirement from 25 to 19 buses.
Route 359 (Addington to Purley) reduced in frequency from every 30 to every 45 minutes reducing the requirement from 3 to 2 buses.
3rd December 2022
Various contract renewals involving changes to vehicle requirements including routes 80, 154 and 163 which each a reduction in one bus while route 93 has an increase of 3 buses.
2023
7th January 2023
Route 187 (Central Middlesex Hospital to Finchley Road) Monday to Saturday frequency reduced from every 13 to every 15 minutes reducing the requirement from 12 to 10 buses.
Route 226 (Golders Green to Ealing) new contract and timetable involving a reduced requirement of 1 bus.
21st January 2023
Route 213 (Sutton to Kingston) reduced in frequency from every 10 to every 12 minutes daytime and from every 12 to every 15 minutes evening.
Route B13 (New Eltham to Bexleyheath) Mondays to Saturdays daytime frequency reduced from every 15 to every 20 minutes reducing the requirement from 6 to 4 buses.
28th January 2023
Route 62 (Marks Gate to Barking) reduced in frequency from every 10 to every 12 minutes reducing the requirement from 16 to 14 buses.
4th February 2023
Route 271 (Highgate Village to Moorgate) withdrawn with a saving of 13 buses replaced by extensions to routes 21 and 234 adding 3 buses on each route making for a net reduction of 7 buses.
Route E2 (Greenford to Brentford) revised timetable including a reduction in frequency from every 7-8 to every 8 minutes reducing the requirement from 16 to 15 buses.
11th February 2023
Route 57 (Kingston to Clapham Park) Monday to Saturday frequency reduced from every 10 to every 12 minutes reducing the requirement from 24 to 19 buses.
18th February 2023
Route 94 (Acton Green to Piccadilly Circus) Monday to Saturday frequency reduced from every 7.5 to every 8-9 minutes reducing the requirement from 20 to 18 buses.
Route 452 (Vauxhall Station to Kensal Rise Station) Monday to Saturday frequency reduced from every 10 to every 12 minutes. (Also temporarily curtailed at Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury’s reducing the requirement from 18 to 15 buses.)
4th March 2023
H32 (Hounslow Bus Station to Southall Town Hall) Monday to Saturday frequency reduced from every 10 to every 12 minutes.
11th March 2023
Route 64 (New Addington to Thornton Heath) daytime frequency reduced from every 7-8 to every 10 minutes reducing the requirement from 21 to 17 buses.
Proposed changes….
29th April 2023
Route 35 (Shoreditch to Clapham Junction) daytime frequency reduced slightly from every 7.5 to every 8 minutes (although the evening and Sunday frequency increased from every 15 to every 12 minutes).
BusAndTrainUser 