This could be the last week of the much-prized W12 bus route as Wanstead knows it as TfL prepares to make a major shift to its services.
Campaigners against the changes have other ideas though.
From the end of this week, the W12 will no longer serve Wanstead and will instead go from Walthamstow-South Woodford-Woodford Bridge. In its place will come a re-routed W14 which will go via Snaresbrook Tube, but miss the accessible Wanstead Station, then nip down Nightingale Lane before going back on towards South Woodford. It means it will miss much of the Nightingale Estate, large parts of which have come to rely on and cherish the W12 service.
Campaigners are furious, saying the consultation was over complicated and didn’t take everything into account that it should have done. They have amassed thousands of signatures on a petition (which is here).
The campaign group Save Local Buses and Routes for Local Residents issued a statement saying: “Among the scheme, the new W14 (replacing the W12) is being reduced from every 30 minutes to one an hour and, vitally, it will no longer deliver passengers into Whipps Cross Hospital’s grounds. Instead it will halt about a quarter of a mile away – difficult and possibly hazardous for for patients, visitors and staff, especially after dark and in bad weather.
“Incredibly, the same W14, also cuts out the most valuable points on the old route – no longer stopping near Wanstead Tube station with its vital step-free access, nor the useful small bus terminal at Wanstead’s Woodbine Place, missing out most of Wanstead’s high street including pharmacies and GPs, stopping nowhere near South Woodford’s supermarkets and cinema around George Lane, and no longer serving a number of schools, including Forest and only running once an hour to Nightingale Primary.
It will also no longer travel to Walthamstow — passengers will need to switch to the new W12 route. Residents on the massive Nightingale Estate, stretching from Wanstead to South Woodford, will be particularly badly hit, as the bus service provides a lifeline in their large network of roads away from other public transport links. The inadequate hourly service also puts women and other individuals at risk if they have to walk long distances down quiet, dark streets at night.”
TFL presented little evidence as to why these changes are needed. Just vague statements about simplifying the local bus network and improving access to local aeras and Whipps Cross.
In the results of the consultation there were more people saying that their journey would be less convenient than that it would be more convenient.
https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/bus-routes-w
But the proposed changes are still going ahead.
TFL’s route changes are particularly confusing by reversing the route numbers of W14 & W12. Most of what is currently W14 is now becoming W12 and large parts of W12 are now called W14.
Some of their statements about frequency are very misleading. They said the frequency on W12 was being increased to 15 mins, without explaining that large parts of the current route would in fact drop to an hourly service under a different route number.
What makes you say the new W14 route ” will miss much of the Nightingale Estate”, when the map shows that it will take the same route through the Nightingale estate that the predecessor W12 did? (or did I miss something?)
Your story is very disingenuous. The map clearly shows the new W14 serves the Nightingale Estate & the new W12 clearly serves Wanstead and will go into the grounds of Whipps Cross Hospital. It’s misinformation like this that’s served to confuse & upset elderly residents like my 82 year old mother! It seems you really haven’t followed the map as per the comment underneath it!
Bit harsh. As our story today reports, TfL has changed its position on Nightingale Estate. And the W14 won’t go into Whipps X. Hardly misinformation.
Well it doesn’t go to Whipps Cross or Walthamstow. And how are people supposed to get to yhe hospital? Take a bus to the Green Man and then have to cross the road for the 257. The W13 no longer has a timetable and in my experience comes when it feels likeit. All this is certainly not reliable for hospital appointments.
I agree totally with this analysis. I am an older women with restricted mobility and rely on the bus to get to Whipps Cross Hospital. Iam unable to walk the distance from the green man down to Whipps without experiencing severe pain and as I am also unsteady on my feet worry about being knocked over on that road to Whipps. This is a plea to the bus company on behalf of all elderly residents to think again and reinstate a bus service that serves all the community in Wanstead.