Concerns have been raised about plans to shorten some of London’s busiest bus routes.
Transport for London is proposing to alter a number of routes, including the 19, 38 and 279, in response to a “significant” fall in passenger numbers.
TfL says it has too many buses - and not enough passengers - especially in central London, a situation The Standard found to be true when we took a ride on the 19 on Thursday afternoon.
But campaigners warn this will force thousands of passengers a day to catch at least two buses - at busy bus stops, such as at the Angel in Islington or in Tottenham – in order to complete their journeys.
TfL also plans to axe the 349 and to make changes to the 259 and 424 - but it may reintroduce buses on route 10, though not on its previous route along Oxford Street.
What’s happening with the 279 bus?
The 279, which operates between Waltham Cross and Manor House station, is the eighth busiest bus route in London, with 9.7m passengers in 2024/25.
TfL plans to redirect it away from Seven Sisters Road, meaning it will terminate at Stamford Hill rather than Manor House. This would also remove a link to the Piccadilly line station at Manor House.
But TfL said the proposal “reduces duplication with other routes on Seven Sisters Road and helps to better match levels of service with passenger demand”.
What’s happening with the 19 and 38 bus routes?
The 38, which was introduced more than 100 years ago, would terminate at Holborn rather than Victoria.
The route is currently the 15th best used of all 667 bus routes in London, with 8.5m passengers a year.
If the proposals are taken forward, the frequency of the 38 would be decrease from six minutes to 10 on Saturdays and from 7-8 minutes to 12 minutes on Sundays, early mornings and evenings.
The 38 shares part of its route with the 19, which TfL also wants to shorten. The 19 – one of the most iconic of London bus routes, and mentioned in the classic Dire Straits song Wild West End – was first introduced 120 years ago.
Under the proposals, which are out to consultation until January 23, the 19 would divert to Victoria after reaching Hyde Park Corner, rather than heading to Battersea bridge via Knightsbridge, Sloane Square and King’s Road.
Explaining the reason for the proposed changes, TfL said: “Route 38 runs in two overlapping legs which no longer match the demand patterns due to a significant decrease in demand at Victoria and between Hackney and Essex Road.
“Route 19 is unreliable, and the busiest section is around Islington Green.”
TfL said it currently has “more buses than we need” between Hackney and Victoria. “These changes will allow us to make cost savings to ensure TfL can meet its business plan targets,” it said.
The Standard had to wait about 15 minutes for a southbound 19 in Charing Cross Road - while the same stop was served by more than a dozen buses on other routes.
On one occasion, seven southbound buses were stacked nose to tail, waiting for the traffic lights to change at Cambridge Circus.
TfL are consulting on proposals affecting the 38 bus route, including shortening it so terminates at Holborn rather than Victoria.
— Meg Hillier (@Meg_HillierMP) December 22, 2025
These are only proposals for now, so make sure you feed into the consultation here: https://t.co/6BkcXs1awB
You have until Friday 23 January 2026.
TfL estimates that 356 passengers a day on the 19 would have to change buses due to the changes, as well as 1,007 a day on the 38 – including passengers heading to or from Great Ormond Street children’s hospital.
To provide an alternative to bus passengers in the busiest section, between Essex Road and Holborn, TfL plans to introduce a new route - to be provisionally numbered 10 - between Mildmay Park and Battersea Bridge.
The night bus routes N19 and N38 would not be affected.
What’s happening with the 259 bus?
The 259, which carries 5.7m passengers a year between Edmonton Green and King's Cross, would be restructured to run between Ponders End and the Nag’s Head in Holloway.
This creates a new direct link between Ponders End and Holloway and reduces duplication with other bus routes on Caledonian Road but removes a direct link to King’s Cross.
The 349 bus is due to be axed
TfL also plans to axe the 349 between Ponders End and Stamford Hill, despite it being used by 4.2m passengers a year.
It says the 349 “overlaps significantly with other services” and withdrawing it “better matches levels of service with passenger demand”.
What’s happening with the 424 bus?
In south-west London, TfL plans to restructure route 424 to operate between Putney Heath (Wildcroft Road) and Upper Richmond Road (Putney High Street).
The 424 would no longer run between Putney High Street and Fulham (Stevenage Road/Fulham Football Club).
TfL says the 424 is often unreliable due to congestion on Putney High Street.
This consultation is open until January 11.
TfL is proposing to create a new route, which would be numbered 454, to operate between Putney Bridge station and Fulham (Stevenage Road/Fulham Football Club).
However the 454 would only have a bus every 30 minutes or a bus every 45 minutes.
What has been the reaction to TfL’s plans?
Caroline Russell, leader of the Green party on the London Assembly and an Islington councillor, said: “If you live near a Tube station you can trust it will still be there tomorrow.
“Bus routes should give the same sense of security, but when they suddenly change or are even removed, it significantly disrupts routines and makes everyday life much harder for people living or working along the route.
“While the Hopper Fare means there is no extra cost when switching buses, the proposed reduction in service frequency is what concerns me most as longer waits could discourage people from using buses altogether.”
John McGeachy, campaigns manager at Age UK London, said: “All too often changes to bus routes have a negative effect on older Londoners and disabled people who rely heavily on bus travel.
“Any changes that have a direct impact on passengers in terms of lengthening their journey, increasing the number of bus changes needed for a journey or leaving gaps with no service available is not acceptable.”
London TravelWatch, the passenger watchdog, said it understood TfL’s need to review the bus network to make the most effective use of resources.
It said: “When TfL consults on changes to bus routes, we always highlight any concerns we have that might have a detrimental impact on passengers. This includes asking TfL to make sure it minimises the need for people to have to change buses where routes are altered - particularly at night – or at least provide the easiest way for passengers to change between buses where this is unavoidable.
“We will continue to monitor changes to London’s bus routes, and urge TfL to make sure they engage with passengers to put their needs first.”
A TfL spokesperson said: “We know buses are an important lifeline for millions of Londoners.
“The consultation for the proposed changes to routes 19 and 38 is still currently open. The proposed changes would improve reliability of both routes and better match current demand capacity.
"Feedback is hugely important to us and we encourage everyone to respond to the consultations that are currently open.
“This will help inform future decisions, and enable us to create bus services that benefit everyone, where the right service levels are provided to support areas of growing demand.”
