Central London route changes Part Two

Over the last weekend, the second stage of changes to the bus services in Central London took place. These changes are all part of TfL's ongoing review of bus services in London. Some of these changes are to match the present level of demand, whilst others are to facilitate the thinning out of bus numbers along Oxford Street to remove congestion, and a few route amendments associated with the imminent opening of the Crossrail Elizabeth Line.

An in-depth look at all the changes coming up can be found on the TfL consultation page here:
https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/west-end-bus-changes/

The changes that took place on Saturday 15th July 2017 affected routes 3, 22/N22, 137, 159 and C2.


Routes 3/N3
Route 3 was withdrawn between Regent Street and Trafalgar Square. The route now terminates at Trafalgar Square (Cockspur Street) and stands on King Charles II Street at Piccadilly Circus, the former route 22 and N22 stand. The temporarily reduced frequencies on the route for roadworks have now become permanent.

There has been no change to route N3 at present, which continues to run through to Oxford Circus from Bromley.

It is planned that routes 3 and N3 will be rerouted from Trafalgar Square to serve Leicester Square and Russell Square.

LT609 on route 3 on Pall Mall in service, when the route terminated at Regent Street, Conduit Street 18/02/16
Route 3 no longer serves Regent Street and now terminates at Trafalgar Square, the stop prior to this view.
© Tommy Cooling

LT705 turns off its new stand on Charles II Street into unchartered territory on Waterloo Place 17/07/17
The route now uses the former route 22/N22 stand before the proposed extension to Russell Square.
© Tommy Cooling

Routes 22/N22
Routes 22/N22 were withdrawn between Piccadilly Circus and Green Park Station, and then rerouted to serve Oxford Circus via the present C2 routing via Berkeley Square, terminating at Henrietta Place via Margaret Street. Routes 22/N22 no longer run along Piccadilly from Green Park to Piccadilly Circus.
This change saw route C2 withdrawn between Oxford Circus and Victoria. The frequencies on route 22 have been reduced to every 7-8 mins Monday-Friday. The Merton garage allocation of the route has been transferred to Putney garage.

WVL501 heads east along Piccadilly, road that the route no longer serves 17/06/17
Routes 22/N22 now turn off at Green Park following the route of the C2 to Oxford Circus.
© Tommy Cooling

WHV159 on the last night of N22 operations to Piccadilly Circus, at Green Park on the 15th July 2017. This was the day which the C2 was cut to Regent Street, yet the N22 was not extended over the C2. This led to Berkeley Square to have no night bus service for the most part of one night, although that section has small levels of boarding or alighting through the night. The last night C2 did run from Victoria fully blinded along the old route, but for most of the night, the area had no service.
© Aubrey Morandarte

EH111 on the first night of N22 operations to Oxford Circus on the 16th July 2017, one night after it was supposed to be rerouted.
© Aubrey Morandarte

WVL499 prepares to turn right off Oxford Street onto Regent Street 17/07/17
Routes 22/N22 now serve Berkeley Square, Regent Street and Oxford Circus after Green Park instead of Piccadilly Circus.
© Tommy Cooling

WHV36 at Hyde Park Corner demonstrates the new Oxford Circus terminus for route 22 17/07/17
Routes 22/N22 were cut back from Piccadilly Circus to take the line of route of the C2 from Hyde Park to Oxford Circus.
© Tommy Cooling

Routes 137/N137
Route 137 was cut back to Marble Arch (Park Lane), and such was withdrawn running along Oxford Street due to bus congestion. There have been no changes to bus frequencies on the route.
There is no change to route N137, which continue to run along Oxford Street through to Oxford Circus from Streatham Hill.

LT352 stands at Oxford Circus on the stand at John Prince's Street 19/03/17
Route 137 no longer serves this stop or any of Oxford Street having been withdrawn beyond Marble Arch.
© Tommy Cooling

LT964 shows the new terminus of route 137, Marble Arch, whilst at Hyde Park Corner Station 17/07/17
Route 137 has now been withdrawn between Marble Arch and Oxford Circus, however route N137 still runs through.
© Tommy Cooling

Route 159
Route 159 has been withdrawn along Oxford Street owing to congestion. The route is now scheduled to terminate at Oxford Circus, Holles Street, as opposed to Marble Arch. The 24 hour night service has been unaffected and route N159 still continues to serve Marble Arch. This change has been reported to be temporary due in part to the Westminster roadworks, however, like previous cutbacks to routes such as the 7, 8 and 15, this "temporary" withdrawal between Marble Arch and Oxford Circus is expected to become permanent.

Route 159 used to run to Paddington Basin as recently as 2010 as cover for the cut back of route 15 from Paddington, but the 159 withdrawn from Paddington back to Marble Arch only four years later in 2014. The route ran up to West Hampstead from Streatham as recently as the early 1990s. The northern part of the route beyond Oxford Street became the current 139 route back in March 1992.

LT704 passes Marble Arch looking for a space to stand at the end of the route 09/06/16
Route 159 has been pulled back to Oxford Circus during the day owing to roadworks and congestion.
© Tommy Cooling

LT695 emerges onto Oxford Street from Vere Street having taken stand on Henrietta Place 17/07/17
The day service of the route now only runs to Oxford Circus from Streatham; the (N)159 service continues to Marble Arch.
© Tommy Cooling

Route C2
Route C2 was cut back from Victoria to Regent Street, Conduit Street, taking the terminus and stand of Route 3 which has been cut back to Trafalgar Square. The 24 hour night service, NC2, has also been withdrawn from Victoria. This cut back has been offset between Hyde Park and Regent Street with the rerouting of the 22 and N22. The link between Berkley Square and Victoria has been lost however.

E400 2460 passes round the south side of Hyde Park Corner on a route C2 service to Victoria 29/10/15
Route C2 no longer serves this section of route having been withdrawn between Oxford Circus and Victoria.
© Tommy Cooling

E400 9527 crosses Oxford Street at Oxford Circus 17/07/17
Route C2 now terminates at Oxford Circus, using the stand on Conduit Street recently vacated by the route 3 cut back.
© Tommy Cooling

Post by Tommy Cooling
Photos by Tommy Cooling and Aubrey Morandarte
All these images and more can be found on my Flickr page:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/

Please do not reproduce any of the images without permission