London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Mar 12, 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
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
US Forces Prepare Ordnance at RAF Fairford as Strategic Bombers Deploy for Middle East Operations
Nigel Farage Faces Criticism After Saying Britain Should Stay Out of Iran War
Landmark UK Trial Begins Over Sony’s PlayStation Store Pricing
UK High Court Rejects Bid to Challenge Britain’s Chagos Islands Agreement With Mauritius
Finnish Duo Triumphs in England’s Annual Wife-Carrying Race, Winning a Barrel of Ale
How U.S. and UK National Security Strategies Are Reshaping the Global Business Landscape
Green Party Gains Momentum as Labour Shifts Toward the Political Centre
Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon Sets Sail for Eastern Mediterranean as Regional Tensions Rise
UK Homebuilder Persimmon Warns Iran Conflict Could Dent Property Buyer Confidence
Roman Abramovich Signals Legal Fight if UK Seeks to Seize Chelsea Sale Funds
UK Ready to Back Emergency Oil Reserve Release as Middle East Conflict Pushes Prices Higher
Study of 40,000 Articles Sparks Debate Over Alleged Anti-Muslim Bias in UK Media
US and UK Army Chiefs Strengthen Cooperation on the Future of Armored Warfare
Britain’s Search for the Next ARM Intensifies as Startups and Investors Target the Semiconductor Frontier
Three US Strategic Bombers Arrive at RAF Fairford as Iran Conflict Intensifies
Cancer Death Rates in the UK Fall to the Lowest Level on Record
UK Government Bond Yields Retreat Slightly After Sharp Spike Triggered by Middle East Conflict
UK Chancellor Warns Middle East War Could Push Inflation Higher
UK Prime Minister Warns Iran Conflict Could Drive Up Prices and Threaten Economic Stability
Trump Declines UK Offer to Deploy Aircraft Carriers to Middle East Amid Iran Conflict
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Return to Australia After Seven Years for Philanthropic and Business Engagements
UK Government Signals Independence From Washington as Cooper Says Britain Does Not Agree With Trump on Every Issue
UK Experts Warn AI Chatbots Are Fueling Surge in Claims of Organised ‘Satanic’ Ritual Abuse
UK Political Parties Divided Over Strategy as Iran Conflict Reshapes Foreign Policy Debate
Britain Discloses Secret Military Repair Hubs Operating Inside Ukraine
Trump Says US No Longer Needs UK Carrier Support After Delayed Offer Amid Iran Conflict
Why Britain Has Become Involved in the US-Israel Military Campaign Against Iran
UK Gas Storage Falls to Under Two Days as Iran Conflict Jolts Global Energy Markets
UK Warned to Brace for Economic Shock as Iran War Drives Global Energy Price Surge
Starmer and Trump Hold First Call After Public Dispute Over Iran Conflict
UK Dentists Returned £1.3 Billion to Government as Shift Toward Private Care Accelerates
Expert Warns UK Must Build Emergency Food Stockpiles to Prepare for Climate Shocks or War
UK Plans Charter Flight to Evacuate British Nationals from Gulf as Regional Conflict Disrupts Air Travel
Families of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Fighters Call on Britain to Help Locate Skulls Taken During Colonial War
Iran’s Ambassador Warns Britain to ‘Be Very Careful’ Over Deeper Role in Expanding Middle East War
UK Military Leadership Defends Britain’s Defensive Role in Expanding Middle East Conflict
×