Bus route extension for Crossrail imminent as bus stop changes appear
Proposed changes on bus routes in south east London appear imminent with new bus stop boards appearing – including the extension of 472 at its new Abbey Wood terminus.
The 472 from north Greenwich is to be extended from Thamesmead to Abbey Wood station.
We know other route changes are coming on 14th May, but so far there’s no confirmed word from TfL on changes such as the 472. This will provide a regular link from north Thamesmead to Abbey Wood station for Elizabeth Line services.
It also provides a bus between Abbey Wood and north Greenwich. However while that has never existed, there will be two as the 180 is redirected from Lewisham to North Greenwich.
Having a 24 hour direct bus route on the 472 will be a big benefit to link with the night tube running on the Jubilee Line. No longer just a slow N1 to Abbey Wood from central London.
A reduction in frequency for the 472 was also proposed, and we await confirmation from TfL on that.
Emails to the Transport for London press office last week havn’t seen a reply (they’re normally pretty good), though we know the changes are long planned and the subsequent site of bus signs hopefully ensures the extension begins soon.
But what TfL giveth TfL taketh away – in part. The B11 between north Thamesmead and Abbey Wood station which ran four times per hour is being cut to three times an hour, and will no longer head to north Thamesmead.
The B11 between Abbey Wood and Bexleyheath has been bolstered for some time by the introduction of the 301.
The 301 is however quicker and more frequent than the B11. It doesn’t though have a hail and ride section, assuming the B11 still does? It been some time since yours truly rode it.
The 301 runs from Abbey Wood to Thamesmead then onto Woolwich. In future it may extend to Charlton riverside where up to around 8,000 homes will eventually be built.
The B11 will now head no further north than Harrow Manorway – where 525 new homes are approaching completion which I took a look at and covered yesterday at the old Tavy Bridge site, and 272 homes are set to begin over the road.
Last week a car wash closed in advance of further building work in Abbey Wood. A render of that development is below:
Other forthcoming changes include the 469. The 180 also extends at its eastern end to Erith Quarry – where 850 homes are being built.
180 being redirected from Lewisham is completely nonsensical. Why do we need what is in effect two 472 routes?
TfL would highlight housing growth on Greenwich Peninsula, though much of it has slowed down a lot recently despite GMV seeing hundreds of homes completing in coming months.
The 180 changes are possibly the most pointless and stupidest changes TfL has ever done to a bus route, do they really think people in Erith will be prepared to sit on a bus for 40+ mins to board a cramped Jubilee line train at North Greenwich, when CrossRail is literally down the road? And will do what the Jubilee does in more than half the time, in linking the Docklands, Stratford (with a change at Whitechapel) the City, West End and Heathrow.
The changes are utterly pointless and serve no local benefits other than overbussing North Greenwich, this now leaves the 177 as the sole link between Abbey Wood, Plumstead and Woolwich to Greenwich town centre and severs a well used link between Charlton and Lewisham.
Congrats TfL we now basically have 2 472’s thanks to your incompetence, I hope the change quite frankly fails when the route loses passengers and sees how the 177 cannot cope, let’s hope one day the 180 can be restored.
Completely agree with you @JR, I don’t know anybody who is in favour of the 180 changes, did TfL listen? No they didn’t, their policy is to encourage bus usage yet they break vital links that would reduce car usage.
@ N totally agree with you..The date for the changes to routes 128 180 469 and B11 are currently listed as taking place from the 14 May 2022. No date was listed for the 472 as of the 30th April.
The changes to route 180 makes no sense as will loose a vital link to Lewisham for Abbey Wood and Lower Charlton..If I worked for TFL I would have extended route 472 to Erith Quarry via Abbey Wood at the current frequency or a slightly increased frequency at peak times.
I would have also considered extending route 380 from Belmarsh to Abbey Wood at an increased frequency to maintain a bus link to Lewisham via Charlton to at least partially replace part of route 180..
Re-routing the 180 bus route away from Lewisham is a great loss for residents who relied on the 180 to travel to Lewisham.
We taking a major bus route away from an area that already suffers heavy traffic congestion and air pollution (Greenwich). Route 129 will operate less frequently than route 180 between Pear Tree Way and Lewisham. There is no replacement bus service to Lewisham for Abbey Wood or Lower Charlton residents.
Route 180 should have remained Belvedere to Lewisham with a new bus route between North Greenwich and Erith Quarry.
Is the 180 extension to Erith and the Quarry actually going ahead?
@ CDT some say people in Erith will benefit from a cheaper zone 2 journey from NG, my view point is that low income families in Thamesmead and Woolwich have lost a cheap link to Greenwich and Lewisham and will now have to use the more expensive South Eastern, fares are cheap on CrossRail, £1.70 to Stratford.
I hope one day the 180 will be restored, the 178 was eventually restored to Lewisham ten years after it was cut back to Kidbrooke
Hi, the 301 does have a hail and ride section between Woolwich Road and Long Lane, ibus tells you so and I always tell the driver where to get off