🚍➡️ Let’s make 2025 the year we see London Buses return to Waltham Abbey. Thanks for all your support in 2024. Here's what we achieved together last year in our fight to bring London Buses back to Waltham Abbey and fix our inadequate public transport:

✅ Support across various levels of government: Backing from Dr Neil Hudson MP, Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, London Assembly members, and local councillors.

✅ Over 1.5k signatures: gathered prior to the early closure of our petition in January in preparation for its presentation at the London Assembly.

✅ Petition submitted at the London Assembly: Thanks to London Assembly member and Waltham Forest councillor Emma Best AM, and the Mayor of Waltham Abbey, Cllr Shane Yerrell, who generously volunteered for it to be submitted in his name.

✅ Unanimous London Assembly motion: The London Assembly voted to call on Transport for London (TfL) to restore bus services between Waltham Abbey and Chingford, with cross-party support.

✅ TfL’s openness to collaboration: After an initial negative response from the Mayor of London, Transport for London have now welcomed talks with Essex County Council on funding for restorations and extensions of London bus routes to serve Waltham Abbey. We would like to extend a special thanks to Dr Neil Hudson MP, and to Waltham Abbey councillors Jeane Lea, Martin Morris, and Joseph Parsons for raising these issues with TfL.

With Essex County Council set to receive £17.8 million in funding for bus service improvements, on top of the £4.89 million BSIP funding they’ve already received, 2025 is a golden opportunity to restore the connections Waltham Abbey desperately needs.

We are hopeful that Essex County Council will seize this chance to work with TfL to deliver the long-awaited improvements we've all been calling for. We are deeply grateful to our MP and local councillors, whose support and advocacy have been vital to keeping this campaign moving forward.

Whilst we are still waiting for updates on Essex County Council's next steps, we remain optimistic that the continued efforts of our local representatives will help bring about real progress in 2025.

For decades, Waltham Abbey relied on frequent, reliable, and integrated London bus services - and we deserve nothing less today. The gradual transition to a mainly unsubsidised commercial service, a result of years of neglect, has failed our town. Waltham Abbey's public transport has been allowed to deteriorate to unacceptable levels:

🚫 No service to Chingford: All bus stops along the A112 Sewardstone Road between Tesco and the Lee Valley Campsite, once frequently served by London Buses, remain abandoned, leaving large areas unserved, including key places of employment and leisure. This absence is particularly shocking given the proximity between the two towns, and the fact Chingford serves as a vital local transport hub, with connections to London Overground services and many TfL bus routes for onward travel (including to Whipps Cross Hospital and nearby schools). The ULEZ expansion exacerbates this situation. A journey that takes 10 minutes by car takes 1.5 hours by public transport.

⏳ Unreliable and infrequent services: The services Waltham Abbey does receive are plagued by unreliability, coupled with poor frequencies. Severe delays, buses skipping stops due to overcrowding, and cancellations without prior notice are more than common. These issues have become so severe that nearby schools have had to exempt Waltham Abbey students from detentions for lateness. Services to/from Epping, for instance, run as infrequently as every 1 to 2 hours, with the last three buses departing at 16:13, 17:52, and 18:54 from Epping.

🌙 Limited evening services: The early termination and long intervals between the last buses from Loughton and Waltham Cross stations makes commuting after work or participating in evening activities difficult. Missing a bus can result in lengthy waits, or no service at all, even for early evening commuters.

📅 Minimal weekend service: Central Connect's route '16C' (formerly numbered '66A') is now the only bus route running in Waltham Abbey on Sundays and bank holidays, running just once an hour, with the last bus departing Waltham Cross at just 7:45 pm.

💳 No TfL fare integration: Bus services in Waltham Abbey are not integrated with TfL's Oyster and contactless payment system and fare caps, which are used at all nearby stations and on bus services in neighbouring areas. This forces passengers to pay additional fares.

We call on Transport for London and Essex County Council to facilitate the following:

🚍 Restore connections to Chingford: Extend London Buses routes 215 and 379 from the Lee Valley Campsite/Yardley Lane to at least Waltham Abbey Town Centre. This would restore the vital link to Chingford, and a frequent, 7-day-a-week service to all abandoned stops along the A112 Sewardstone Road, where local employers, workers and residents are urgently seeking restored connectivity.

🚍 Restore the Waltham Cross to Upshire section of Route 317: The restoration of this service would improve coverage in eastern Waltham Abbey, provide a TfL-integrated link to Waltham Cross station, and deliver a frequent, 7-day-a-week service running late into the evening.

🚍 Improve connections to Loughton: Replace the inadequate Arriva 66 (Mon-Sat) and Central Connect 16C (Sun) routes with a restored London bus service between Waltham Abbey and Loughton tube station. A frequent, TfL-integrated 7-day-a-week service operating into the evening would ensure seamless access to Central Line services and local amenities.

🚍 Provide an adequate connection to Epping: Replace the infrequent Central Connect route 13 with a London bus service offering consistent, frequent, 7-day-a-week coverage, important for commuting, local amenities, and access to St Margaret's Hospital.

🔗 Combined extensions: Some of these extensions could be combined to maximise coverage and efficiency.

The unwavering support from local people and businesses has been the driving force behind this campaign. Your voices, whether through signing the petition, contacting your elected representatives, engaging on social media, or sharing your stories, have ensured this issue remains at the forefront.

These changes will deliver:

✅ Frequent and Reliable Services: Comprehensive coverage throughout the week, including evenings, late nights, Sundays, and bank holidays, ensuring consistent access for work, leisure, and essential travel.

✅ Service reinstated to all abandoned bus stops along the A112 Sewardstone Road, where residents, businesses and workers are urgently seeking restored connectivity.

✅ Reconnection to the GLA Area: Restored links to Chingford and restored/vastly improved connectivity to nearby transport hubs. Public transport restored to the expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) area.

✅ Enhanced Accessibility: Significantly improved access for residents, businesses, and visitors, re-aligning Waltham Abbey with neighbouring areas like Loughton, which continue to benefit from frequent and properly integrated services.

✅ Integration with the TfL Fare System: Full access to Oyster/contactless payments, fare capping, and seamless transfers across the TfL network, matching the convenience available in neighbouring areas and ensuring affordability for all passengers.

These improvements will transform Waltham Abbey’s public transport network, reconnecting our town and ensuring no one is left behind.

➡️ This can be the year things finally change. It's time to restore the level of service our town had for many decades, and needs now more than ever before.