please empty your brain below
“We have no clues as to the other 26 locations, other than names of boroughs, so tracking them down would be extremely difficult“

I have no doubt that the readers here will be up for the challenge!

Mudcrutch | 08.02.26 - 8:18 a.m. | #

The biggest issue is that countdown indicator boards can only be installed where there's a bus shelter. Plenty of other councils have installed indicators where a shelter isn't needed so why hasn't TfL investigated this option?

dg writes: because there are still 10,000 shelters without Countdown displays

David Cohen | 08.02.26 - 8:45 a.m. | #

I think a simple FOI request, would reveal the location of the other 20+ shelters. Someone will email in ask...

Al | 08.02.26 - 9:04 a.m. | #

I welcome the news. Too often I feel that bus shelters and railway waiting rooms are at times a neglected part of 'the travel experience' which is often the easiest part to improve.

With extended frequencies and wetter winters predicted these will probably become more important. A single double-decker electric bus costs in the region of half a million pounds. A lot could be done to improve customer experience at what I suspect is far less cost.

It is noticeable how, even on TfL routes crossing the GLA boundary, bus shelters tend to be less frequent, haphazardly organised and inconsistent although some are absolutely charming. TfL is not responsible for bus shelters outside London (unless subcontracted) and it shows.

In and around Purley we have many shelters that serve busy stops and the shelters are inadequate even though there is space for a larger shelter. We also have a couple of busy stops along the main corridor of the Brighton Road with no shelter at all despite the space being available for one.

In my limited experience, TfL are also good at responding and fixing reported problems with shelters.

I do hope any roll-out of this extends to tram shelters. Annoyingly the backlit advert panel at tram stops blocks your view of the coming tram unlike bus shelters which generally do not obscure the view of the coming bus. Tram shelters are also inadequate for the number of people using a lot of stops. What is needed is not replacement but an additional shelter installed further along the platform,

Pedantic of Purley | 08.02.26 - 9:24 a.m. | #

Will TfL be able to fit 3D Superloop roundels to the curved roof?

Earthstump | 08.02.26 - 9:56 a.m. | #

Looks nice, and I love the larger text size on the end panel.

But what a pity that this design perpetuates the seating in front of the information panel. I guess it’s a trade-off between bum capacity and access to info but I’m sure a better design could be reached, especially where there is no need for an entry to the shelter at the back. Perhaps the other trial designs address this - I hope so.

Stephen H | 08.02.26 - 9:58 a.m. | #

There's a surprising lack of the normally-obligatory mentions of "Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan" in the press release, just a couple of generic references to the post of Mayor. Someone will be getting their knuckles rapped.

Andrew S | 08.02.26 - 10:04 a.m. | #

Can't wait to see Stop M on Bow Road getting this.

Patrickov | 08.02.26 - 10:30 a.m. | #

Nice design. Will keep my eyes open, but seeing as my borough, and mostly those surrounding it, weren't one of those mentioned, I'm not optimistic!

Cornish Cockney | 08.02.26 - 11:44 a.m. | #

A little known and (as far as I am aware) never actually used feature of the old stops was the ability for the two red end panels to be internally illuminated, to make stops easier to spot, which I imagine could be quite handy when in an unfamiliar location. It looks a bit as though the new stops also have this feature, but again not in use.

David | 08.02.26 - 11:54 a.m. | #

It would be nice to have a Countdown display facing outwards, busy stops always have passengers waiting around the shelter.

I thought that TfL did a trial of fitting Countdown displays to posts.

Still Anon | 08.02.26 - 12:00 p.m. | #

Doesn't stop you getting splashed!

Terry | 08.02.26 - 12:12 p.m. | #

I'm surprised the shelter design doesn't more cleanly integrate the display of future bus times, making the display an always present default, not an option.

Countdown is now such old tech/concept that it needs to be re-engineered (and review where existing units are deployed, which is often misaligned to benefit)

Note I am not a fan of timesharing the bus time information with digital advertising; but it could be in the same frame, always visible.

MilesT | 08.02.26 - 12:51 p.m. | #

I can't find a picture of one online but there are shelters, I assume paid for by Kensington and Chelsea given their crest is on them, that show the bus times on a full colour screen within the shelter. I think they're an improvement and also suggest extra shelters can be provided if a council is willing to pay for them. There's one almost opposite Waitrose on the Kings Road.

ap | 08.02.26 - 1:01 p.m. | #

Actual seats?!?!?!

TW | 08.02.26 - 1:15 p.m. | #

I am reminded of when the new design for the standard Tfl bus flag was unveiled many, many years ago and how it was billed as being robust, flexible and future-proof. With the hindsight we have now we can see that they've certainly stood the test of time. Here's to whatever comes out of this trial proving similarly practical and endurable.

tops | 08.02.26 - 4:39 p.m. | #

I was in the Southwark area this afternoon so popped to take a look.

Bus stop SB - I'm surprised they've gone for proper wood - I wonder how long it'll be before it deteriorates and needs replacing?

At bus stop SC, all that appears to have changed is the roof, comparing the photo I took to streetview image from June 2025 everything else at the stop is the same, including the red plastic perch seating and the spider maps.

Hadders | 08.02.26 - 9:42 p.m. | #

There’s another example of the full-colour, full-height screen with bus times in the Cromwell Place shelter that serves South Ken station. But last time I was there it was illegible because bright sunshine meant reflections on the shiny glass obliterated the information and direct sunshine’s even worse. Countdown may be old technology, but a backlit LCD display (if that’s what it is) on a black background, at a right angle to the road, stands out far more than pixels on a glossy surface. In tech, newer so often means worse for the user.

Labourer | 09.02.26 - 12:36 a.m. | #

Like the sloped roof. Will remain cleaner as the dirty water will drain off rather than evaporating to a grubby stain. Wooden seats likely to get carved and scratched.

Shame that modern society has to designate a seat for Priority. Good manners used to do that automatically on any seat without the need for a patronising sticker on one seat.

scrumpy | 09.02.26 - 2:39 a.m. | #

Wow, that's really nice and unexpected. I thought they'd replace the tilted bench with spikes the way things have been lately.

Chz | 09.02.26 - 10:09 a.m. | #

the directional signs above the posters is interesting. though i initially thought it'd be giving directions for buses "eg wait here for buses via pentonville road" rather than local landmarks.

Alistair twin | 09.02.26 - 10:51 a.m. | #

Good to see - ideally there'd be some form of shelter and seating at almost every stop.

There's an FOI from 17 February 2023 with a list of the 50 busiest bus stops without seats (& therefore shelters).

Cronx | Homepage | 09.02.26 - 12:03 p.m. | #

Pocock Street shelter looks shiny and new now.

Sally | 10.02.26 - 9:36 a.m. | #

Also Elgin Avenue by Maida Vale station.

Sally | 10.02.26 - 9:38 a.m. | #

There are also lots of the older-style black shelters knocking about. I wonder how far they've got in replacing those ones

AndrewP | 10.02.26 - 4:08 p.m. | #

A new shelter has also appeared on Blackfriars Road, at the junction of pocock Street, the next stop from this one. The design is slightly different, red seats and it has several small led lights instead of one large one, so different designs seem to be testing

Lewis | 13.02.26 - 2:29 p.m. | #

One of the trial shelters has appeared in Hampstead High Street, replacing what seemed to me to be perfectly good shelter.

The previous shelter had a countdown display. The trial replacement does not.

As far as I can tell, the only countdown sign remaining in Hampstead is at South End Green (one of the stops for the hospital), with additional bus information in Hampstead Heath overground station.

MilesT | 01.03.26 - 8:18 p.m. | #

New trial bus stop being installed right now, right outside Barking station. Main observation is that the seats are red now, I think...?

Muldoon | Homepage | 26.03.26 - 7:35 p.m. | #

The trial shelter on Hampstead High Street had a countdown display when I saw it today.

TW | 19.04.26 - 11:55 a.m. | #











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