Transport for London (Tfl) is proposing changes to several bus services which run through our area – in particular routes 8, 25 and 425, but also other bus services that run into central London. These include 3, 6,  15, 22, 23, 46, 73, 137, 172, 242, 332, 390, 452, N2, C2, N3,  N15, N22 and N73.

If you want to comment on the proposals, the consultation runs until 29 January, 2017. If the proposals go ahead they will be phased in over the next couple of years.

You can access the consultation via this link

Route 8 – Buses would start and finish at Tottenham Court Road.
However under the proposal,  buses would now run towards Tottenham Court Road and continue along High Holborn (A40) instead of turning into New Oxford Street, continuing to St. Giles High Street, to stand on Earnshaw Street. Towards Bow it would run via New Oxford Street, Bloomsbury Way and back to the existing route.

There would be no change to current frequencies. At the moment buses run from Bow Church to Tottenham Court Road, serving Bethnal Green, Liverpool Street, Bank, High Holborn and New Oxford Street. Buses run about every 6 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and every 10 minutes on Sundays.

Route 25 – The plan is to restructure the route to run between Ilford and Oxford Circus every six minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and about every seven to eight minutes evenings and Sundays, (although it’s not clear if this is more or less frequent than now.)There will be no change to night time frequencies. The short journeys that run between Ilford and Mile End would be replaced by an extension of route 425 from Stratford to Ilford.

Tfl says this proposal would provide the current capacity  between Ilford and Stratford. However it would reduce the frequency of buses between Stratford and Mile End where there is spare capacity. Between Mile End and Oxford Circus customers would see a slight increase in frequency as the service patterns are regulated across the route. If you need to switch buses and are using pay-as-you-go you will get a Hopper ticket so you can swap without paying again.

Route 425 – Tfl plans to extend this route so it ends at Ilford instead of Stratford.  Frequencies will be increased so it runs every 10 minutes daily from Monday  to Saturday and every 12 minutes evening and Sundays.