19 and 38 bus routes restructure

We are proposing to make changes to route 19 which runs between Battersea and Finsbury Park and route 38 which runs between Victoria station and Clapton. We also propose to introduce a new route to be provisionally numbered 10 to run between Mildmay Park and Battersea Bridge.

Please note routes N19 and N38 are not affected by these proposals.

By clicking on each of the buttons below, you can read more about what is proposed and how this may impact you. You can also view maps, ask questions, give feedback, and find out about other ways to get in touch and take part.

You have until Friday 23 January 2026 to give us your feedback.

Proposal

For route 19 we propose to remove the section between Battersea and Hyde Park corner and extend it to serve Victoria station instead, we would also increase the frequency on Sunday early mornings from every 15 minutes to every 12 minutes.

Two red double-decker London buses at a bus stop, with the front bus on route 19 to Battersea Bridge and the second bus on route 3 to Hyde Park Corner, against a backdrop of trees and a bus shelter Route 38 currently runs with two separate legs on weekdays in Clapton, so we are proposing to remove the section which currently runs to Clapton bus garage during Monday to Friday daytimes. Instead, we would run the service between Clapton Pond and Holborn. If these proposed changes are taken forward, we would also decrease frequencies on Saturdays from buses every 6 minutes to buses running every 10 minutes and on Sundays, early mornings and evenings from buses running every 7- 8 minutes to buses running every 12 minutes.

We also propose to introduce a new route (provisionally numbered route 10) between Mildmay Park, Dove Road and Battersea Bridge running every 10 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 12 minutes on Sundays and all evenings.

The key changes to note are:

Run route 19 between Finsbury Park and extend to Victoria via Hyde Park Corner and no longer serve Battersea Bridge
Run route 38 from Clapton Pond to Holborn, New Oxford Street and no longer serve Victoria
Withdraw the section of route 38 that runs between between Clapton Garage and Victoria station (currently Monday-Friday only)
Introduce a new route (provisionally route 10) between Mildmay Park, Dove Road and Battersea Bridge

Please see detailed maps for future proposals below.

Map showing proposed bus routes 10, 19 and 38

(Click on map for a larger version)

Linear map showing proposed bus routes 10,19 and 38

(Click on map for a larger version)

Current routeing

Route 19

The route currently runs between Finsbury Park Station and Battersea Bridge every 10 minutes during Monday to Sunday daytimes and all evenings.

Route 38

The route currently runs in two legs. One leg operates on all days and times between Clapton, Kenninghall Road roundabout and Victoria every 10 minutes during Monday to Friday daytimes, every 5 minutes during Saturday shopping hours: every 6 minutes during Sunday shopping hours and every 7 to 8 minutes on all evenings. The second leg also operates every 10 minutes during Monday to Friday daytimes only between Clapton Bus Garage and Victoria, therefore the common section has buses running every 6 minutes.

Please see detailed map for current routes below.

Map showing current bus routes 19 and 38

(Click on map for a larger version)

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How it impacts you

We have conducted an Equality Impact Assessment on this proposal and it has highlighted the following findings:

Positive impacts

New links between Battersea/Knightsbridge and Essex Road
New links between Victoria and Upper Street/Highbury
Improved reliability on route 19 due to shorter route and less variable traffic conditions
All routes would run at a high frequency (at least every 12 minutes) during all periods of the day

Negative impacts

This breaks 356 trips per day (2%) on route 19 between Knightsbridge and the King’s Road and the areas north of Angel. It breaks a total of 1,007 (4%) trips per day on route 38 between Victoria and the areas north of Angel and between Clapton Pond/Dalston and the areas west of Tottenham Court Road
Buses on the Balls Pond Road will be busier than present as capacity is reduced by around half on route 38 between Clapton garage and Essex Road
Buses will be busier than present as capacity is reduced by around half on route 38 between Victoria and Holborn
To access the Middlesex Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, in the Theobald’s Road area, you can still do so using routes 10, 19 and 38 but for some journeys passengers will need to change bus. Same-stop interchange is available at Angel station at stops X and Y (southbound) and at stops F and G (northbound) where good lighting, real-time information and seating are available

Mitigations

We know that some people would need to change buses to complete some of their journeys should these changes go ahead.

We have identified interchange points for trips to/from routes 19 and 38 southbound which are at Angel station stops X and Y (southbound) where shelters, good lighting and real time information are provided. There are also identified interchange points for trips to/from routes 19 and 38 northbound at stops F and G at Angel station, where shelters, good lighting and real time information are provided
With the Mayor’s Hopper fare, adult rate pay as you go fares on buses and trams gives you unlimited journeys for £1.75, made within one hour of touching in. Hopper fare also applies to discounted rate travel

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Ask us a question

If you have any questions about the scheme, you can ask us here and we will get back to you.

Please note that any questions you ask may be visible to others and will be subject to moderation. Any personal information will be kept confidential but your user name will be displayed. Further details on moderation are available here and privacy here.

Page last updated: 02 Dec 2025, 08:14 AM

19 and 38 bus routes restructure