Update regarding the 19/38 proposed bus changes
Update 26 June 2026
"We would like to thank you for taking part on the consultation on proposals for changes to routes 19, 38 and 10.
Having analysed your responses, we have decided to go ahead with some of the changes we proposed, but with some changes to help respond to the concerns that have been raised.
In summary, the key adjustments and mitigations we are making to the original proposals are:
- All the service changes will be kept under review, with particular focus on ensuring that sufficient capacity continues to be provided on the Essex Road to Holborn corridor
We are going ahead with curtailing route 38 so that it runs between Clapton Pond and Holborn, New Oxford Street instead of Victoria. We will also go ahead with withdrawing the short leg on route 38 to Clapton Garage. To better match demand, services will now run every 10 minutes instead of every 5 minutes on Saturdays and every 10 minutes instead of every 7-8 minutes on Sundays, early mornings and evenings, as set out in our original proposal.
To respond to the concerns about losing early morning and late evening through services to Victoria from Hackney, and to preserve affordable late night and early morning access to and from the West End, Night Bus route N38 will operate about an hour earlier in the evening and later in the morning all week.
We are going ahead with rerouting route 19 after Hyde Park to serve Victoria station instead of Battersea Bridge. We will also go ahead with increasing early morning Sunday frequencies on route 19 from every 15 minutes to a service running every 12 minutes.
We will go ahead with introducing new route 10 – but will extend it to Newington Green (south side) instead of terminating at Mildmay Park, as had been proposed. This change will help respond to concerns raised in consultation and provides a new service to residents of Newington Green. This means the new route will now run between Newington Green and Battersea Bridge, with services running every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 12 minutes on Sundays and all evenings.
We know this outcome might not be what everyone wanted to see, but the changes will improve reliability on routes 19 and 38, which are both currently not meeting their reliability targets, and will better match service levels to demand. The changes will reduce duplication and over-provision in areas where we are running more buses than are needed, which will help us create a more financially sustainable network. We are also providing new journey opportunities with the introduction of route 10 at Newington Green.
We recognise that these changes will mean that some customers will need to change buses to complete their journeys. Same-stop interchange is available between routes 10, 19 and 38 at Angel station, where shelters, good lighting and real time information are available. The Mayor’s Hopper Fare allows customers to change buses for no extra charge within an hour of first touching in.
We will keep all the service changes under review, with particular focus on ensuring that sufficient capacity continues to be provided on the Essex Road to Holborn corridor. Passenger loading surveys will be undertaken following implementation.
Our ambition is for London’s bus network to be the best of any city in the world. That’s why we are reshaping the network to ensure it can continue to deliver for the changing needs of Londoners now and into the future. This means providing an attractive, reliable, green bus service which reflects how Londoners travel today, offers better customer experience, and is financially sustainable. London is constantly changing and, as our most flexible form of public transport, our bus network must change too."
Tldr; The 38 will be revised to run between Clapton Pond to Holborn (New Oxford Street), no longer running between Tottenham Court Road and Victoria.
The 19 will be revised to run between Finsbury Park to Victoria, taking up the south section of the 38. This route will no longer run between Hyde Park Corner and Battersea Bridge, South Side.
A new bus route (10) will be introduced to run between Newington Green to Battersea Bridge, (South Side), taking up the south section of the 19.
The routing of N19 and N38 will remain unchanged.