Bus routes C3, 74 and 430 - proposed restructure

We are seeking your views on proposals to restructure bus routes C3, 74 and 430 so that we're still providing a comprehensive and frequent service, but with less duplication and excess capacity.

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.

The closing date for comments is Monday 16 November 2026.

Proposals

We are proposing to restructure routes C3, 74 and the 430. As part of this restructure, we would withdraw route C3 and restructure the route 74 to continue to provide a service along the route of the C3. Therefore, it would no longer run between between Putney and Earl’s Court but would be extended to Clapham Junction.

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Subject to the outcome of the consultation we would also make some changes to the frequencies. We would increase frequency on route 74 from on Sunday mornings from buses running every 20 mins to every 12 minutes and we would also increase frequency on route 430 so buses run every 12 minutes on all days of the week.

Route N74 would remain unchanged.

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Why?

These proposals would simplify routes in central and inner London, running a smaller number of high frequency, more reliable routes, so customers have an attractive service which is still comprehensive and frequent, but has less duplication and excess capacity. Our proposal has been designed to address excess capacity while simplifying the network and reducing operating costs.

All affected stops would continue to be served by other high-frequency bus services, although some customers may need to change buses to complete their journeys.

We will seek to minimise any negative impacts, for example by ensuring convenient comfortable and accessible interchanges to help customers easily move around the network in a similar way to the London Underground and the wider rail system.

The bus network continues to provide more buses than are needed on the shared corridor between Putney and South Kensington(routes 74 and 430 alignment). Therefore, these proposals have been developed to better match capacity to demand and simplify the local bus network.

Withdrawing route C3 and re-routeing the 74 at Earl’s Court to Clapham junction would better match capacity to demand between Putney and Earl’s Court on the 74/430 shared section. It would also rationalise and simplify the network by reducing the number of parallel routes running on the corridor while retaining key links and introducing new links.

The changes to frequency would ensure a high frequency interchange is maintained during all periods of the day/week.

A restructured route 74 would retain existing links between Baker Street and South Kensington/Earl’s Court, while creating new links between the areas served by the C3 (South Chelsea, Sand’s End, Clapham Junction and South Kensington, Knightsbridge and Baker Street).

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Our vision for buses

London is constantly changing and, as our most flexible form of public transport, our bus network must change too. That’s why our 2026 Business Plan builds on our Bus Action Plan by setting out how we will reimagine London’s bus 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 for all Londoners which reflects demand and is financially sustainable.

What this means for customers is that we’re going to be consulting on changes to ensure buses run where they’re needed most:

We will simplify routes in central and inner London, running a smaller number of high frequency, more reliable routes, so that we can deliver an attractive service which is still comprehensive and frequent, but has less duplication and excess capacity. We will seek to minimise any negative impacts, for example by ensuring convenient comfortable and accessible interchanges to help customers easily move around the network in a similar way to the London Underground and the wider rail system
We will continue to improve connections in outer London by expanding the Superloop network to link town centres and key stations. New connections will help unlock housing growth and encourage even more Londoners to go car free
While some routes will change, we will minimise any local impacts as far as possible. Our aim is to create a network that’s easier to understand and better reflects how people travel today

Alongside bus route changes, we’re also taking action to tackle congestion on bus corridors to make passenger journeys quicker and more reliable. This includes:

Rolling out world-leading FUSION technology to give buses priority at junctions and traffic signals
Partnering with boroughs and coordinating roadworks
Cutting delays to buses through our pan-London lane rental scheme, which charges utility companies for how long they take to carry out roadworks, so streets are reopened more quickly
Investing £90m a year to improve borough roads, making them safer and better for buses and those walking and cycling
Targeting £30 million through our Better Bus Partnerships to improve whole bus corridors, cutting delays and making journeys quicker and more reliable in Haringey, Lewisham and Southwark
Trialling AI cameras on buses to identify delay hotspots. Using the intelligence gathered to better understand the impact of roadworks and traffic contraventions, improve enforcement and reduce delays to buses.

At the same time, we’re rolling out improvements to enhance customer experience for those using our buses, making them greener, safer, and more comfortable. This includes:

Delivering the next iteration of our world-leading Bus Safety Standard, which ensures new buses in London are fitted with advanced safety features such as intelligent speed assist and camera monitoring systems
Ensuring that customers have up-to-date information, where they need it, by installing 5,000 additional real-time information displays at bus stops
Delivering next-generation bus shelters at more locations, with better lighting, seating and accessibility
Building on Western Europe’s largest zero emission bus fleet, with up to 6,000 zero emission buses in service by 2030, the equivalent of two entering service every day
Improving passenger confidence and safety with our trial of CCTV at 30 bus shelters to evaluate the feasibility of a wider introduction
Investing in bus driver training to support a better and consistent customer experience
Improving bus station layouts to improve safety, accessibility and customer experience

Read more about how we are increasing the number of bus journeys by making bus travel better, faster and greener in our Bus action plan.

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Impacts

Current route 74 passengers

A total of 2,717 daily trips are made on route 74 which would require interchange between bus routes in future. A total of 1,774 of these are to/from stops that would require interchange with stops that would require an extra walk to complete, at the junction of Old Brompton Road and Cromwell Crescent/Earl’s Court Road.

Towards South Kensington passengers would need to interchange between Warwick Road (Stop R) and Earls Court Square (Stop B), which requires an extra 180-metre walk.

Towards Putney passengers would need to interchange between Earls Court Road / Old Brompton Road (Stop L) and Redcliffe Gardens (Stop M) which requires a 160-metre walk.

All other broken links can be made with same-stop interchange at South Kensington station, stop E towards Baker Street and stop S towards Putney. Both stops have shelters with adequate seating, lighting and information.

Earl’s Court station and South Kensington station are not step-free and Earl’s Court is. This means route 74 passengers in the Lillie Road/Putney areas won’t have a direct link to a step-free LU station if the proposals go ahead. There are plans to make South Kensington Station step free by 2030

Re-routeing the 74 to run between Baker Street and Clapham Junction would create new direct links between the areas served by the C3 (South Chelsea, Sand’s End Clapham Junction and South Kensington, Knightsbridge and Baker Street). Passengers wishing to travel between these areas would no longer need to change bus.

Current route C3 passengers

Re-routeing the 74 via route C3 means three stops on route C3 would no longer be directly served by route 74/C3: stop E / set down stop on Warwick Road / Tesco, stop F on Pembroke Road and stop H on Cromwell Road. The set down stop at Tesco is 140 metres from stop D on West Cromwell Road. Stop H is 150 metres from the alternative stop, stop J on Cromwell Road. Each of these three stops is also served by routes 328 and C1.

For passengers currently boarding at stop E or F, their nearest southbound stop would be either stop K on Earl’s Court Road or stop J on Cromwell Road. This would require an additional minimum walk of 580m. This involves crossing both West Cromwell Road and Earl’s Court Road at controlled crossings. A total of 179 passengers board from stop E currently, 89 of which cannot use route 328 instead.

The frequency of route 74 would be the same as route C3 (6 buses per hour (bph) Monday - Saturday daytimes) but would be 5 bph during evenings, early mornings and Sundays, which is a frequency increase from 4 to 5 bph as route C3 currently operates at 4 bph during those times.

Current route 430 passengers

Should the changes go ahead passengers on route 430 would benefit from an increase in frequency.

Routes C3, 74 and 430 serve bus stops in the Wandsworth, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster

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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.

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Page last updated: 05 Oct 2026, 01:09 PM

Bus routes C3, 74 and 430 - proposed restructure

Proposals