Bus 86 in London: Stratford Bus Station to Romford

Bus 86 is an east London cross-borough route that starts at Stratford Bus Station and runs north-east to Romford Station. It serves the Forest Gate and Manor Park corridor, then runs through Ilford and Seven Kings before reaching Goodmayes and the Romford town centre.

With 47 or 48 stops, the 86 is a steady workhorse route. Buses are among the more frequent services in this batch, with 171 journeys each way on weekdays, although the full trip still takes about an hour.

Where the route goes

From Stratford Bus Station the bus goes past the Stratford Centre and Moorfields Eye Hospital, then Litchfield Avenue and the University of East London stop at Water Lane. Atherton Leisure Centre and Margery Park Road lead to Woodgrange Road and Green Street, then Katherine Road and Shrewsbury Road before Woodgrange Park Station and High Street North Manor Park.

Between Ilford and Seven Kings the route passes Ilford Station, Redbridge Central Library and Ilford County Court, then Seven Kings Station and the Goodmayes Retail Park. From Chadwell Heath it runs past St Chad's Road and Whalebone Lane, the Romford Stadium at Jutsums Lane and Romford Market, before ending at Romford Station on Western Road.

Stops: Stratford Bus Station - Romford Station

  1. Stratford Bus Station
  2. Stratford Centre / Moorfields Eye Hospital
  3. Litchfield Avenue
  4. Water Lane / University Of East London
  5. Atherton Leisure Centre
  6. Margery Park Road
  7. Woodgrange Road
  8. Green Street (E7)
  9. Katherine Road Forest Gate
  10. Shrewsbury Road Romford
  11. Woodgrange Park Station
  12. High Street North Manor Park
  13. First Avenue (E12)
  14. Rabbits Road
  15. Seventh Avenue
  16. Little Ilford Lane
  17. North Circular Road Ilford
  18. Ilford Station / Ilford Hill
  19. Pioneer Point
  20. Redbridge Central Library
  21. Hainault Street
  22. St Peter & St Paul Church
  23. Ilford County Court
  24. Aldborough Road South Seven Kings
  25. New Road Seven Kings
  26. Seven Kings Station
  27. Chester Road (IG3)
  28. Kingswood Road
  29. Barley Lane / Goodmayes Stn
  30. Goodmayes Retail Park
  31. Grove Road Goodmayes
  32. Belfairs Drive
  33. Chadwell Heath Lane
  34. St Chad's Road
  35. Whalebone Lane
  36. Hainault Road Chadwell Heath
  37. St Edward's Academy / The Compass School
  38. Jutsums Lane
  39. Romford Stadium
  40. Richards Avenue
  41. Cotleigh Road
  42. Knightsbridge Gardens
  43. Mawney Road (RM1)
  44. North Street Romford
  45. Romford Market
  46. Western Road
  47. Romford Station

Stops: Romford Station - Stratford Bus Station

  1. Romford Station
  2. Romford Town Centre
  3. Romford Market
  4. North Street Romford
  5. Mawney Road (RM1)
  6. Cotleigh Road
  7. Richards Avenue
  8. Romford Stadium
  9. Jutsums Lane
  10. St Edward's Academy / The Compass School
  11. Albany Road Chadwell Heath
  12. Whalebone Lane
  13. Farrance Road
  14. St Chad's Road
  15. Japan Road
  16. Wangey Road
  17. Montpelier Gardens
  18. Goodmayes Retail Park
  19. Goodmayes Tesco
  20. Goodmayes Road / Goodmayes Stn
  21. Blythswood Road
  22. Chester Road (IG3)
  23. Seven Kings Station
  24. New Road Seven Kings
  25. Ilford Fire Station
  26. Connaught Road Seven Kings
  27. St Peter & St Paul Church
  28. Winston Way Primary School
  29. Hainault Street
  30. Redbridge Central Library
  31. Ilford Broadway
  32. Chapel Road
  33. Dersingham Avenue
  34. Little Ilford Lane
  35. Rabbits Road
  36. First Avenue (E12)
  37. High Street North Manor Park
  38. Woodgrange Park Station
  39. Shrewsbury Road Romford
  40. Katherine Road Forest Gate
  41. Green Street (E7)
  42. Woodgrange Road
  43. Sprowston Road
  44. Margery Park Road
  45. Atherton Leisure Centre
  46. Water Lane / University Of East London
  47. Stratford Centre / Moorfields Eye Hospital
  48. Stratford Bus Station

When it runs

On weekdays the Stratford to Romford direction runs 171 journeys, from 00:00 to 23:50, with a bus about every 8 minutes. In the other direction there are also 171 weekday journeys, from 00:05 to 23:55, and the average gap is again about 8 minutes.

Weekend frequency is around 120 journeys each way, with buses about every 12 minutes. Journeys are a little quicker at weekends, at 61 minutes towards Romford and 60 minutes back, compared with 64 and 68 minutes on weekdays. The first and last departures are the same at weekends as on weekdays.

Timetable at a glance

DirectionDaysFirstLastJourneysEveryJourney time
Stratford Bus Station - Romford Stationweekdays00:0023:50171~8 min64 min
Stratford Bus Station - Romford Stationweekends00:0023:50120~12 min61 min
Romford Station - Stratford Bus Stationweekdays00:0523:55171~8 min68 min
Romford Station - Stratford Bus Stationweekends00:0523:55118~12 min60 min

Tips for passengers

With buses about every eight minutes on weekdays, you can usually arrive at your stop without checking the timetable. Allow extra time for the whole trip, which is about an hour, since the bus stops frequently along the way. At Romford, several stops sit close to the market, so read the stop name carefully before you board.

See also

Full stop list for the London Bus 5.

First and last departures on the London Bus 10.

You may also need the London Bus 9.

Route details for the London Bus 12.

Timetable and stops for London Bus 8.

Weekday and weekend times for the London Bus 14.

Another route in the city: London Bus 13.

Stops and journey times on the London Bus 11.

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Nearby routes and routes sharing stops