TfL wants to cut the 74 back at Earl's Court and send it to Clapham Junction, scrapping the C3. The 430 would run every 12 minutes. Comment by 16 November.

The 74 bus would stop running to Putney under plans Transport for London has put out to consultation. Instead, the route would turn off at Earl’s Court and run to Clapham Junction, taking over the route of the C3, which would be withdrawn. (TfL, Routes C3, 74 and 430)

The consultation closes on Monday 16 November 2026. Nothing changes before TfL has considered the responses and published a report.

What TfL is proposing

The plan has four parts:

  • Route C3 withdrawn. It currently runs between Earl’s Court and Clapham Junction.
  • Route 74 re-routed. It would keep its Baker Street to Earl’s Court section, then follow the C3 via Imperial Wharf, Townmead Road, York Road and St John’s Hill to Clapham Junction (Falcon Road). It would no longer run between Earl’s Court and Putney.
  • Route 430 more frequent. Buses would run every 12 minutes on every day of the week. The route itself, Roehampton to South Kensington via Putney, does not change.
  • Sunday mornings on the 74. Buses would run every 12 minutes, up from every 20.

The night bus N74 would stay as it is. (TfL, Routes C3, 74 and 430)

TfL’s own route diagram shows the withdrawn section of the 74 running from Putney station through Putney Exchange, Putney Bridge, Fulham Palace Road, Lillie Road and West Brompton. The 430 already serves that same corridor.

Why TfL wants to do it

TfL says there are more buses than needed between Putney and South Kensington, where the 74 and 430 run side by side. In its words, the plan would “better match capacity to demand” on that shared section and cut operating costs.

It says every affected stop would still be served by another high-frequency route, “although some customers may need to change buses”. The proposal follows the bus section of TfL’s 2026 Business Plan, which commits to fewer, more frequent routes in central and inner London.

Who loses out, by TfL’s own count

TfL’s impact section is more specific than most. For current 74 passengers:

What changes TfL’s figure
Daily trips on the 74 that would need a change of bus 2,717
Of those, trips needing an extra walk between stops at Earl’s Court 1,774
Extra walk towards South Kensington (Warwick Road to Earls Court Square) 180 metres
Extra walk towards Putney (Earls Court Road to Redcliffe Gardens) 160 metres

Everyone else would change at the same stop at South Kensington station: stop E towards Baker Street, stop S towards Putney.

TfL also says passengers in the Lillie Road and Putney areas would lose their direct bus link to a step-free Tube station. It notes plans to make South Kensington step-free by 2030.

For C3 passengers, three stops in Kensington would lose their direct service: the Tesco set-down stop on Warwick Road, Pembroke Road and stop H on Cromwell Road. TfL counts 179 people boarding at the Warwick Road stop, 89 of whom cannot use the 328 instead. (TfL, Routes C3, 74 and 430)

What Clapham Junction gains

The re-routed 74 would give Clapham Junction, York Road and Sands End a direct bus to South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch and Baker Street. Today that journey needs a change.

On the old C3 section the service would run six buses an hour in the daytime, Monday to Saturday, as now. In the evenings, early mornings and on Sundays it would rise from four buses an hour to five.

What it means for you

  • If you catch the 74 from Putney into Fulham, Earl’s Court or South Kensington, the 430 would cover the same stops, more often. For Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch or Baker Street you would change, most likely at South Kensington.
  • If you use a wheelchair or a buggy, check the step-free point above before you respond. It is the change TfL itself flags.
  • If you live near Clapham Junction, you would gain a one-bus link into the West End, and more frequent buses on Sundays and evenings than the C3 runs now.
  • To respond, use the survey on TfL’s consultation page, which TfL says takes about ten minutes, or leave a quick response there. TfL also takes replies by email, on its call-back line (020 3054 6037) or by post to FREEPOST TFL HAVE YOUR SAY. Easy Read, audio and British Sign Language versions are on the same page.

The deadline is Monday 16 November 2026.

For trains from Putney and Clapham Junction, see our Wandsworth train times to London, and for current closures, Wandsworth roadworks and travel.

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