Second new bus route arrives in south east London

28 October 2019
New homes in Kidbrooke are now directly connected to the North Greenwich transport hub by the route 335
"The introduction of the route 335 is great news for our customers in south east London "
Geoff Hobbs
Director of Public Service Planning, TfL
  • The 335 is part of TfL's plan to invest in more services in areas of demand and growth

Travel options in south east London have been improved with the launch of the new route 335, linking Kidbrooke and North Greenwich. The 335, which began operating on Saturday 26 October, is the second new bus route to arrive in Greenwich this year, following the launch of the 301 between Bexleyheath and Woolwich in June. The new high frequency 335 will use double-deck buses, running every 12 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, and every 15 minutes during evenings and Sundays.

Geoff Hobbs, Director of Public Service Planning at TfL, said: "We are committed to improving and growing the bus network in outer London and introducing more convenient routes to help our customers connect to key local amenities more easily. The introduction of the route 335 is great news for our customers in south east London, giving a frequent, direct link between Kidbrooke and North Greenwich, and is the second of seven new bus routes we're planning to deliver in outer London this year."

Cllr Danny Thorpe, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: "With the launch of the 335 bus route, the second new route in Royal Greenwich this year, our public transport links continue to go from strength to strength. Not only are bus services crucial in tackling air pollution, by increasing the number of journeys people are able to make by public transport, they are also a lifeline to those without cars, particularly the young and elderly."

These two new routes are part of a major programme of improvements to outer London bus services - the biggest investment in over a decade. This will help achieve TfL's planned 5 million km increase in outer London bus services over the next five years.

Following the 335 and 301, TfL intends to introduce five new routes in outer London in the coming months:

  • the 218 from Hammersmith to North Acton
  • the 278 from Ruislip to Heathrow
  • the 306 from Acton to Sands End
  • the 497 from Harold Wood to Harold Hill
  • the X140 from Harrow to Heathrow.

These seven new routes will make sustainable travel easier for outer London residents, helping to achieve the Mayor's ambition of 80 per cent of trips made by bicycle, on foot or by public transport by 2041. TfL has undertaken an ambitious programme of work to grow the bus network in outer London and create faster connections, better coverage, and more direct, frequent services. The new routes complement TfL's other recent investments in the outer London bus network, including increased frequencies on more than 25 routes and extensions to five routes.

Reallocating resources from central London can take time, so the Mayor provided additional funding from London's business rates to speed up investment in outer London. This funding is what has allowed TfL to deliver the new 335 in a growth area in outer London a year earlier than planned.