Route 308 sees frequency increase on weekday mornings and will also start earlier at the weekends
"It is fantastic to respond to the success of route 308 by making further improvements"
John Barry
TfL's Head of Network Development for Buses

Local bus services in the east London area are to get a boost from Saturday (11 April), as TfL increases the frequency of route 308 to provide extra capacity on the route to meet increased passenger demand.

The route, which is operated by Tower Transit, runs between Wanstead and Clapton (Lea Bridge Road) via Forest Gate and Stratford. The route was greatly enhanced as recently as January 2014. As part of the package of bus improvements to serve the Olympic Park, the route was extended from Stratford to Clapton via East Village and Homerton Hospital with frequencies increased at all times of day.

Improved route

Following feedback from passengers, the improved route has seen high demand for the service between 06:00 and 09:00. From 11 April, a package of changes will be coming in to further boost the service:

  • There will be an increase in frequency from the first bus meaning that buses will operate at every 12 minutes from the start of service on Mondays to Fridays. Buses currently run every 15 minutes at the start of service building up to every 12 minutes during the peak hours
  • Two additional buses will be introduced from Wanstead to Clapton between 0700 and 0900 to provide a service of every 10 minutes at Forest Gate Station. The additional buses will be double deck to further increase capacity at this busy time
  • One additional bus from Clapton to Wanstead will be added on Mondays to Fridays departing Clapton at 1525
  • On Saturdays, the first services will start earlier; buses will now depart from Wanstead at 04:50 and Clapton at 05:19. On Sundays, the first services will start earlier; buses will now depart from Wanstead at 06:15 and Clapton at 06:11

John Barry, TfL's Head of Network Development for Buses, said: 'We value customer feedback on our services and it is fantastic to respond to the success of route 308 by making further improvements.'

More than 2.4 billion passengers each year

This service change is part of TfL's management and development of a network that comprises around 700 routes across Greater London operated by 7,600 buses at peak times, carrying more than 2.4 billion passengers every year. TfL keeps the network under regular review, working with the London boroughs and other partners to help ensure that services can respond to London's changing travel needs.

Since TfL was formed in 2000 it has invested strongly in London's bus network - resulting in a 69% increase in passenger numbers. London Buses now carry more than 2.4 billion passengers a year, which equates to half of all bus journeys made in England. In recognition of the continued need to invest in bus services - with a increase in demand from the city's rapidly growing population - TfL's latest Business Plan has dedicated around £500m to improve the network over the period from 2015/16 to 2020/21. This will include funding for over 500 extra buses, which will create capacity for an extra 2.9 million customer journeys each week. There is also an additional £200m which will be invested in supporting the reliability of the bus network at a local level with bus priority schemes. A further £25m will be used to fund customer-focused bus driver training to improve customer service.