Calling all London bus users! You might be very glad to hear we are getting the biggest shakeup of bus routes in a decade with 7 new routes across Greater London aimed at better connecting up different parts of the capital, and a whole raft of improvements to existing routes.

After a major series of public consultations last year (2018), Tfl is introducing a big overall of routes and timetables with the aim of getting Londoners where they want to be more quickly and efficiently.

The first changes were introduced in June, but many are still to come from this October.

So what are the new Outer London routes?

1) The 335 will better connect new homes in Kidbrooke to the key transport hub in North Greenwich.

2) This builds on the recent introduction of the route 301 , which launched in June, improving journeys between Bexleyheath and Abbey Wood.

3) The 218 from Hammersmith to North Acton

4) The 278 from Ruislip to Heathrow

5) The 306 from Acton to Sands End

6) The 497 from Harold Wood to Harold Hill

7) The X140 from Harrow to Heathrow

Tfl says 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".

It adds: "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."

Buses will also be more frequent on 25 Outer London routes and five routes have been extended.

For example, from Saturday (August, 31) TfL increased the frequency of the route 158, which runs from Stratford to Chingford Mount via Blackhorse Road, allowing more people to use the route in Waltham Forest.

The new high frequency 335 route will use double-deck buses, running every 12 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes, and every 15 minutes during evenings and Sundays.

Heidi Alexander, London's Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “I’m really pleased that the new route 335 between Kidbrooke and North Greenwich will be in service from October, with a further five new routes in operation by the end of the year. This boost to outer London routes, together with more frequent, direct services, is all part of the Mayor’s commitment to provide a good public transport experience for all Londoners.”

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 confirmation 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 by the end of the year we should have delivered seven new routes in outer London.”

Changes in Central London

Many routes have also recently been altered in Central London to try to make sure they cater for Londoner's needs. There has been a 12 per cent decline in demand in the use of buses in recent times and Tfl has recognised there are too many buses in Central London, but that many routes needed amending or improving.

A full summary of the Central London changes can be found here

It's estimated that the improvements will help achieve Tfl's planned five million km increase in outer London bus services over the next five years

Mrs Hobbs said: "London and the way people travel is always changing, but our bus network historically hasn't always adapted to this. Parts of our network have become inefficient and unreliable, with too many buses in the same places causing problems with congestion.

"We will tackle these inefficient central London pinch points and free up resources to allow for the growth of outer London's bus service with these changes, which are predominately minor route restructures or timetable adjustments. We're thankful for the feedback on our proposals, which has helped to improve them and make them work better for Londoners."

A fuller description of all Tfl routes and timetables can be found here

What do you think of the bus service on year area? What changes would you like to see? If you have a transport related story please email martin.elvery@reachplc.com