Some of London’s oldest bus routes could be set for the axe

By Joe Talora, Local Democracy Reporter
news@slpmedia.co.uk

Several key bus routes used by South Londoners could be axed completely, as Transport for London (TfL) begins a six-week consultation on the future of the capital’s bus services.

TfL announced on Wednesday of last week that it was launching the consultation as it needs to make “significant savings” as the funding row with central Government rumbles on.

A total of 78 bus routes are facing cut-backs as a result of the “managed decline” scenario, including some of London’s best known and oldest services.

While many of the services under review would be rerouted or have their frequency reduced under the proposals, some 16 regular services could be axed entirely as TfL says customer demand could be met by other services.

These include one of the longest-running bus routes in London, the number 11, which has been in continuous service since 1906, serving stops between Fulham Town Hall and Liverpool Street.

Notable stops along the route include Westminster Cathedral, Charing Cross railway station and St Paul’s Cathedral.

The frequency of the service was cut to five buses per hour in 2021. The number 12, dating back to around 1851, is one of the oldest in London.

The route runs between Oxford Circus and Dulwich Library, taking in notable sites including Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square.

The route serves Tube and Overground stations including Westminster, Lambeth North, Elephant and Castle and Peckham Rye.

Also under consideration is the number 45, introduced in 1950, which currently serves stops between Elephant and Castle and Clapham Park including Denmark Hill, Loughborough Junction Station and Brixton Tube station.

The route had previously served stops between King’s Cross and Elephant and Castle, but this part of the route was withdrawn in 2019 along with a raft of changes to other routes.

The C3 bus route is another on the list. It currently runs from Clapham Junction railway station towards Earl’s Court, terminating at Warwick Road Tesco.

The service includes stops such as Imperial Wharf railway station and Earl’s Court Station.

There is also a question mark against the 14 bus route, which serves stops between Putney Heath and Russell Square, including notable stops such as Putney Tube station, Fulham High Street, Chelsea Football Club, South Kensington Tube Station, Green Park Tube Station and Piccadilly Circus.

Others in west and central London affected include the number 31 bus route between Camden and White City, which includes Shepherd’s Bush Tube Station and the 72, and 74 services which cross Fulham, Putney, White City,Shepherd’s Bush and Hammersmith Bus Tube stations.

 

Pictured: The No12 could be one of the routes that is axed Picture: Au Morandarte – Flickr: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29533432