Walthamstow12, Wanstead13, Woodford14

In short the 549 is to be withdrawn... or is it? Cue the V-sauce music.

I'll lay my opinion first before delving on to stuff, it is a mixed bag, as many in the enthusiast space have also said to varying degrees. Some users of the current W12 benefit whilst some users of W12 get the back hand treatment. In the end, the current 549 userbase also gets a benefit by going back to a frequency they once had.

The only no-strings-attached improvement is W13's weekend and evening frequency enhancements.

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Realistically, even TfL admits in less than crystal clear wording, that 549 is to be extended from South Woodford to Whipps Cross Hospital. Increased in frequency from every 90 to every 60, with a new Sunday and new evening service. It'd be every 60 every day of the week.

Remember the 549 used to be every 65-70 under Stagecoach and was the least reliable route?

For the purposes of the consultation, it is numbered W14 (Whipps Cross Hospital - Loughton)

W13 with a small extension from Leytonstone to Leyton ASDA replacing the W14.

W13 gets an increase in frequency on Saturdays (from 3 bph to 4 bph) as well as Sundays/evenings (2 bph to 3 bph). The exact frequency structure of current W14.

The current W14 meanwhile, gets rerouted at Leytonstone via W19 to Whipps Cross, then Church Hill, Walthamstow Central and into Coppermill Lane.

For the purposes of the consultation, it is numbered W12 (Walthamstow, Coppermill Lane - Woodford Bridge)

Technically speaking the current W12 and current W14 would undergo an unusual fusion of sorts.

So far much like the horrible 346/347/497 consultation, more links are lost. From this consultation people lose their W12 provided link between Walthamstow Central and South Woodford.

People in Walthamstow Village lose out as W12 is rerouted away.

If you've read the local news outlets you would know 549 is the least reliable route in London full stop.

I'd also like to add when 322 was the least reliable route between 2000-2005 and had it's restructure in 2005, no route number was changed. Now with 549 in that same boat since at least 2018, they've decided to clean their hands of shame by involving W14. On the surface and as far as the public are concerned, W14 would change completely. As far as analysts go, it's just 549 rebranded.

Here's something I've not done in a while as I've grown less interested in the bus space and being sick a bit.

PVR calculations

549: 1 > 0              -1

W12: 5 > 13          +3 (-34 mins round + 80 mins round) using W14

W13: 5 > 7           +2 (+34 mins round trip)

W14: 10 > 2         +1 (+41 mins round trip) using 549

Total: 21 > 22

My tweaks

How I'd tweak this, along with PVR calculations

20 Walthamstow, Coppermill Lane - Debden (4 bph M-Sat, 3 bph Sun/eve) PVR +2

W12 Walthamstow Central - Loughton (2 bph all times) PVR +0

W13 Leytonstone - Woodford Wells (4 bph M-Sat, 3 bph Sun/eve) PVR +0

W14 Leyton, Asda - Woodford Bridge (4 bph M-Sat, 3 bph Sun/eve) PVR +0

Italics indicate an increase in frequency.

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An alternative tweak would be:

549: Loughton - South Woodford - Wanstead - Leytonstone (every 60 M-Sun/eve)

W12 rerouted away from Walthamstow Village, otherwise no route change (4 bph M-Sat, 3 bph Sun/eve)

W13: Woodford Wells - South Woodford - Wanstead - Leytonstone (4 bph M-Sat, 3 bph Sun/eve)

549 and W13 joint into a single contract but not running to perfect interworking (which W13 would see gaps on it's section to Woodford Wells), so just a 549 slot in between two W13 journeys.

Perhaps this new 549 could be renumbered W10 or W17 to avoid the negative stigma it's unreliability may have caused, which doubles as fitting in with the consultation being dominated by W-routes.

This way, again three contracts. W12; W13/549; W14.

Admittedly this is costlier than my initial tweak, certainly TfL's own one is also cheaper to implement.

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Fun fact: W14 was meant to be extended to Repton Park (former Claybury Hospital which W14 was cutback from just before the hospital closed) when it was extended from Leytonstone to Leyton. Didn't materialise due to funding.

Perhaps it can be looked into again as the old site of the hospital has developed into housing since, giving that short bit barely inside London a direct bus again. Instead of a mental asylum, a bunch of people's homes.

With that, a short review of the new consultation. I haven't done one on X34 or X183 but perhaps when most of the Superloop settles down I might.

In any case, I had a slight bit of fun analysing this and now I will retreat to not caring about these routes that I've never used until the consultation results comes about.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed this relatively short read. Stay safe, until the next one.

You can support me by donating to me, buying from my store, or perhaps order from my Fiverr!

-9-15 mins cut Coppermill Lane - Central

it's already 38+35 on W12 between Walthamstow and South Woodford

-15-15 mins cut W12 section between Snaresbrook and Wanstead

10+10 mins Snaresbrook via Nightingale Lane to South Woodford

34+29 mins e2e 549

Stand time 13-15 Coppermill, 17-21 Wanstead