Route 424 is on diversion this week, with a more significant disruption arriving on Friday. Both are Thames Water works.
The current diversion runs until Friday 4pm. Thames Water is closing Telegraph Road between Crossroads Cottage and the junction near Upper Richmond Road, and the 424 is rerouting via Putney Heath in both directions. Drivers who need Telegraph Road can use Wildcroft Road. The main traffic impact is at Putney Heath, where the extra load feeds into Putney Hill, which is already under pressure.
The bigger problem lands on Friday. Thames Water is back on Putney High Street, with contractor MGroup Ltd digging near Disraeli Road from Friday 29 May to Sunday 31 May, 8am to 6pm. We covered this last week: with Hammersmith and Albert Bridges closed and Wandsworth Bridge reduced to two lanes, there is no realistic alternative for the High Street’s traffic.
Around a third of the 424’s passengers are elderly or disabled Freedom Pass holders, and both disruptions come at a moment of wider uncertainty about the route’s future.
The consultation that still has no answer
TfL proposed splitting the 424 last November, citing Putney High Street congestion as too severe for reliable service. The plan was to shorten the route to run only between Putney Heath and Upper Richmond Road, and create a new route 454 for the Fulham end.
For residents of Byam Street, Broughton Road and Pearscroft Road in Fulham, the proposal would remove their direct service – route 454 is planned to take a different alignment via Bagley’s Lane to accommodate larger buses.
The consultation ran from November to January. It closed on 11 January 2026. TfL’s consultation page now shows the project as “Under Review.” The final report has not been published, and passengers who responded have received no update.
Four and a half months on, there is no answer. TfL confirmed on 26 May that feedback is still being analysed. Geoff Hobbs, TfL’s Director of Public Transport Service Planning, said the changes “address the reliability issues facing the existing route due to congestion on Putney High Street” and that all responses are being reviewed “before a decision is made.” No publication date has been given.
For the full detail on TfL’s proposals and what was at stake for Fulham passengers, see our November investigation and our January consultation guide.
This week
Route 424 diversion via Putney Heath: in effect until Friday 29 May, 4pm
Putney High Street works (near Disraeli Road): Friday 29 May to Sunday 31 May, 8am to 6pm
Thames Water: 0800 316 9800
