Bus 238 in London: Stratford Bus Station to Barking Station
The 238 links Stratford Bus Station with Barking Station, running east through Upton Park, Plashet and East Ham before reaching Barking Town Centre. It is a short and straightforward route, useful for anyone who needs to travel between Stratford and the Barking side of the borough.
Journeys take between about 33 and 41 minutes, and the buses run roughly every 13 minutes on weekdays and every 18 minutes at weekends. The sections below describe the stops, the timetable and some practical tips.
Where the route goes
From Stratford Bus Station the bus passes Stratford Broadway and Barnby Street, then Stratford Park and Amity Road before reaching Park Road and Park Grove. It continues along Upton Lane and St Antonys Road to Lucas Avenue, then Plashet Road and Washington Road, calling at Walpole Road Upton Park and Katherine Road Plashet.
East of Plashet the route serves Shrewsbury Road and Plashet School, then East Ham Station and Bendish Road before reaching Ron Leighton Way and High Street North East Ham. It calls at Newham Town Hall and Altmore Avenue, then St Olaves Road and Burges Road, before North Street and the Barking Town Centre. The bus ends at Barking Station. The outbound trip takes 35 minutes on weekdays and 33 minutes at weekends, and the return from Barking takes 41 and 34 minutes.
Stops: Stratford Bus Station - Barking Station
- Stratford Bus Station
- Stratford Broadway
- Barnby Street
- Stratford Park
- Amity Road
- Park Road
- Park Grove
- Upton Lane
- St Antonys Road
- Lucas Avenue
- Plashet Road
- Washington Road
- Walpole Road Upton Park
- Katherine Road Plashet
- Shrewsbury Road Plashet
- Plashet School
- East Ham Station
- Bendish Road
- Ron Leighton Way
- High Street North East Ham
- Newham Town Hall
- Altmore Avenue
- St Olaves Road
- Burges Road
- North Street
- Barking Town Centre
- Barking Station
Stops: Barking Station - Stratford Bus Station
- Barking Station
- Barking Town Centre
- North Street
- Barking Tesco
- Burges Road
- St Olaves Road
- Altmore Avenue
- Newham Town Hall
- Kempton Road
- Caledon Road
- Bendish Road
- East Ham Station
- Plashet School
- Shrewsbury Road Plashet
- Katherine Road Plashet
- Whitfield Road
- Green Street (E13)
- Penge Road
- Churston Avenue
- St Antonys Road
- Upton Lane
- Park Road
- Amity Road
- Stratford Park
- Paul Street
- Stratford Broadway
- Stratford Bus Station
When it runs
On weekdays the Stratford direction makes 114 journeys between 00:05 and 23:50, with an average gap of about 13 minutes. The Barking direction runs 111 weekday journeys from 00:00 until 23:45, at a similar frequency.
At weekends there are 80 journeys from Stratford and 79 from Barking, with buses about every 18 minutes. The first and last departures are close to the weekday times, so the service is available across the day but less frequent at weekends.
Timetable at a glance
| Direction | Days | First | Last | Journeys | Every | Journey time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stratford Bus Station - Barking Station | weekdays | 00:05 | 23:50 | 114 | ~13 min | 35 min |
| Stratford Bus Station - Barking Station | weekends | 00:05 | 23:50 | 80 | ~18 min | 33 min |
| Barking Station - Stratford Bus Station | weekdays | 00:00 | 23:45 | 111 | ~13 min | 41 min |
| Barking Station - Stratford Bus Station | weekends | 00:00 | 23:45 | 79 | ~18 min | 34 min |
Tips for passengers
Stratford Bus Station and Barking Station are the two ends of the route and both are useful for onward connections. East Ham Station gives a rail link in the middle of the route. Because the route is short, it is usually easy to catch the next bus, but check the timetable on weekends when buses are less frequent.
See also
Another route in the city: London Bus 60.
Also in London: London Bus 63.
You may also need the London Bus 56.
Compare with the London Bus 65.
Timetable and stops for London Bus 57.
Weekday and weekend times for the London Bus 58.
Route details for the London Bus 62.
Full stop list for the London Bus 64.
Another route in the city: London Bus 61.
Also in London: London Bus 59.