London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 19, 2026

Mayor in new row over planned cuts to ‘iconic’ bus routes

Mayor in new row over planned cuts to ‘iconic’ bus routes

Sadiq Khan initially proposed axing 22 routes and reducing the frequency or length of almost 60 more but performed a partial U-turn and saved all but three
Sadiq Khan was on Wednesday caught in a new row over bus cuts as MPs urged him to reconsider changes to “iconic” routes.

The mayor has come under renewed pressure over the imminent axing of the 11 and the re-routing of the 211 and 26 to save money and “more closely match” passenger demand.

The 11 route, which has linked Fulham and Liverpool Street via Chelsea and Bank since 1906, is due to be abolished from early next year.

The 211, which links Hammersmith and Waterloo, is to be rerouted to end at Battersea Power Station — meaning it will no longer serve Victoria, Westminster and St Thomas’s Hospital.

The 26 from Hackney will no longer go south of the river to Waterloo but will be redirected along the Strand and Whitehall to Victoria.

Nickie Aiken, Conservative MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, said the changes to the 211 would result in her constituents losing a direct link to five hospitals — Charing Cross, Chelsea & Westminster, Royal Marsden, Royal Brompton and St Thomas’s.

She said residents were paying the price for the Mayor’s “poor financial management of TfL” and faced having to change buses or a longer walk.

“They will pay a big price for Sadiq Khan’s long-term transport failings,” she said. “He’s had £6 billion in handouts over the last couple of years - more than any other city or region. It’s a mind-boggling sum and he still can’t provide Londoners with the buses they need to attend medical appointments or visit loved ones in hospital.”

Tony Devenish, a Tory member of the London Assembly, pleaded with Mr Khan at Mayor’s Question Time to save the 211 and “iconic” 11.

He said a Transport for London consultation this summer found 90 per cent support for saving the 11 and 92 per cent support for the 211.

He requested a meeting between the mayor and Ms Aiken and fellow Tory MPs Felicity Buchan and Greg Hands. “We would love to save these buses still,” he told Mr Khan.

Mr Khan said only 22 per cent of the mileage cuts first proposed by TfL were being implemented after he decided to user £25m a year of City Hall reserves to keep more buses running.

This meant that only four out of 16 neighbourhoods across London would suffer cuts, he said.

He had initially proposed axing 22 routes and reducing the frequency or length of almost 60 more but performed a partial U-turn and saved all but three - the 11, 16 and 521 - and curtailed 15 other routes.

In Chelsea, he said the 14, 74 and C3 were being saved while route 507, which currently links Waterloo and Victoria stations, would be extended via Chelsea to Fulham Broadway and renumbered 11.

Mr Khan said he would save the buses if the Government provided extra funding. “There is still time to save those buses if the Government steps up,” he said.

“What I would say to those three MPs is: they have got a direct route to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the [Transport] Secretary. If the Government wants to give us the money we deserve... I would be more than willing to make those changes.”

TfL said about seven per cent of passengers using the routes would have to changes buses to complete their journey. It said the new 11 would serve St Thomas’s hospital.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
Senior Minister Shabana Mahmood Seeks New Law Enforcement Pact With European Union
Airbus Executive Warns Britain Risks Losing Crucial Role in European Space Industry
Exorbitant Electricity Costs Push British Steelmakers to Worst Competitive Position in Three Years
British Food and Beverage Exports to European Union Collapse by Over a Third Since Brexit
Up to Twenty English Maternity Units Face Impending Closure Due to Safety and Staffing Crises
Government Declares Severe Drought Across Southern England Following Record Dry Spell
Corporate Profit Warnings Reach Two-Year High Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Costs
International Monetary Fund Warns Chancellor John Healey Against Proposed Bank Tax Raid
Northern Ireland Secures Favorable Agricultural Export Agreement with European Union
Scottish Government Approves Major Offshore Floating Wind Farm Near Aberdeenshire
High Speed Two Rail Project Faces Three Billion Pound Cost Escalation on Initial Phase
National Health Service Warns of Winter Capacity Crisis Across English Hospitals
Tata Steel Confirms Two Thousand Job Cuts at Port Talbot to Fund Green Transition
Global Microchip Developer Announces Three Billion Pound Semiconductor Plant in Cambridge
United Kingdom Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Proposes Mandatory Licensing for Generative Models
United Kingdom Commits Additional Long-Range Weapons and Air Defenses to Ukraine
British Chancellor Overhauls Infrastructure Financing to Bypass Borrowing Constraints
Bank of England Holds Benchmark Interest Rate at Four Point Five Percent
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
Labour Party Instructs Local Council Groups to Sever Power-Sharing Accords with Green Party Over New Controversial Policy Positions
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of Thirty-Five Billion Pound Fiscal Gap Ahead of Chancellor John Healey Upcoming Autumn Budget
House of Lords Backs Landmark Legislative Amendment to Decriminalize Abortion Across England and Wales
United Kingdom Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Travels to Pentagon for High-Level Strategic Talks Amid Escalating Tensions Over Ukraine and United States Policy Shifts
Bank of England and International Monetary Fund Officials Issue Urgent Warnings Regarding Potential Artificial Intelligence Financial Market Shocks
Reform UK Faces Severe Political Fallout and Scrutiny After Undercover Media Investigations Reveal Systemic Racism Among Candidates
Former Democratic Unionist Party Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison Following Landmark Child Sexual Abuse Trial
House of Lords Votes to Amend Schools Bill Implementing Comprehensive Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen Years of Age
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast for Two Thousand Twenty-Six While Warning of Energy-Driven Inflation Pressures
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Corporate Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Automotive Industry Leaders Urge Westminster to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rollout
Home Office Expands Digital Border Security Framework With Mandatory Electronic Travel Authorizations Across United Kingdom
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Consensus on Public Sector Pay Reform and Budget Allocations
Welsh First Minister Secures Additional Funding for Rural Agricultural Transition and Sustainable Farming Schemes
Scottish Government Unveils Accelerated Regional Infrastructure Strategy to Boost Clean Energy Manufacturing
National Health Service England Launches Emergency Recruitment Drive to Alleviate Severe Acute Care Winter Backlogs
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Wage Growth
British Government Finalizes Emergency Energy Support Package to Protect Households From Winter Price Surges
Russell Brand Trial Begins at Southwark Crown Court
UK Parliament to Debate Climate Risks and Council Tax Following Public Petitions
Department for Transport Demands Safety Audits Following Regional Rail Disruptions
House of Lords Scrutinizes Amendments to Armed Forces Bill
Devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales Criticize Post-Brexit Funding Framework
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Defends Middle East Military Support Under Parliamentary Scrutiny
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Pressure on Hospitals from Winter Virus Outbreaks
Retailers and Business Groups Lobby Chancellor for Relief from Rising Employment Taxes
City of London Taskforce Urges Radical Reform to Prevent UK From Becoming "Incubator Nation"
×