238 Stratford to Barking via Upton, East Ham

Operated by Stagecoach London. Runs 24 hours. 225 journeys on weekdays. Fares: £1.75 flat — more.

Next towards Barking from Stratford Bus Station (Stop D): 09:03, 09:13, 09:23

Next towards Stratford from Barking Station (Stop N): 09:01, 09:11, 09:22

Night bus — runs 24 hours. Every night. Nights are the night you set out on, so a 01:30 bus on Saturday morning counts as Friday. All night buses.

Wanted a different 238? 3 other bus routes are numbered 238 elsewhere in the UK — see every 238 bus timetable by area.

Timetable

Ends at Barking Station · Monday to Friday · 114 journeys
Stop 00:0500:2000:3500:5001:2001:5002:2002:5003:2003:5004:2004:5005:2005:4005:5506:1006:2506:3706:4706:5607:0407:1307:2307:3307:4307:5208:0208:1208:2208:3208:4208:5209:0309:1309:2309:3309:4309:5310:0310:1310:2310:3310:4310:5311:0311:1311:2311:3311:4311:5312:0312:1312:2212:3212:4212:5213:0213:1213:2213:3213:4113:5114:0114:1114:2114:3114:4014:4914:5815:0715:1715:2715:3715:4815:5816:0916:1916:2916:3916:4916:5917:0917:1917:2917:3917:4917:5918:0918:1918:2918:3918:4919:0019:1019:2119:3319:4519:5720:0920:2020:3520:5021:0521:2021:3521:5022:0522:2022:3522:5023:0523:2023:3523:50
Stratford Bus Station (Stop D) 00:0500:2000:3500:5001:2001:5002:2002:5003:2003:5004:2004:5005:2005:4005:5506:1006:2506:3706:4706:5607:0407:1307:2307:3307:4307:5208:0208:1208:2208:3208:4208:5209:0309:1309:2309:3309:4309:5310:0310:1310:2310:3310:4310:5311:0311:1311:2311:3311:4311:5312:0312:1312:2212:3212:4212:5213:0213:1213:2213:3213:4113:5114:0114:1114:2114:3114:4014:4914:5815:0715:1715:2715:3715:4815:5816:0916:1916:2916:3916:4916:5917:0917:1917:2917:3917:4917:5918:0918:1918:2918:3918:4919:0019:1019:2119:3319:4519:5720:0920:2020:3520:5021:0521:2021:3521:5022:0522:2022:3522:5023:0523:2023:3523:50
Upton Lane (Stop J) 00:1100:2600:4100:5601:2601:5602:2602:5603:2603:5604:2604:5605:2605:4606:0106:1606:3106:4306:5307:0207:1107:2107:3107:4107:5108:0008:1008:2008:3008:4008:5009:0009:1009:2009:3009:4009:5010:0010:1010:2010:3010:4010:5011:0011:1111:2111:3111:4111:5112:0112:1112:2112:3012:4012:5013:0013:1013:2013:3013:4013:4913:5914:0914:1914:2914:3914:4814:5815:0815:1715:2715:3715:4715:5816:0816:1916:2916:3916:4916:5917:0917:1917:2917:3917:4917:5918:0918:1818:2818:3818:4818:5819:0919:1919:2919:4119:5320:0420:1620:2720:4220:5721:1221:2721:4221:5722:1122:2622:4122:5623:1123:2623:4123:56
Plashet Road (Stop M) 00:1400:2900:4400:5801:2801:5802:2802:5803:2803:5804:2904:5905:2905:4806:0306:1806:3306:4506:5507:0407:1407:2407:3407:4407:5408:0308:1308:2308:3308:4308:5309:0309:1309:2309:3309:4309:5310:0310:1310:2310:3310:4310:5311:0411:1511:2511:3511:4511:5512:0512:1512:2512:3412:4412:5413:0413:1413:2413:3413:4413:5314:0314:1314:2314:3314:4314:5215:0215:1215:2215:3215:4215:5216:0316:1316:2316:3316:4316:5317:0317:1317:2317:3317:4317:5318:0318:1318:2218:3218:4218:5219:0219:1319:2319:3319:4519:5720:0720:1920:3020:4521:0021:1521:3021:4522:0022:1422:2922:4422:5923:1423:2923:4423:59
East Ham Station (Stop A) 00:2000:3500:5001:0401:3402:0402:3403:0403:3404:0404:3505:0505:3505:5306:0806:2306:3806:5007:0107:1107:2107:3107:4107:5108:0108:1108:2108:3108:4108:5109:0109:1109:2109:3109:4109:5110:0110:1110:2110:3110:4110:5111:0111:1211:2311:3311:4311:5312:0312:1312:2312:3312:4312:5313:0313:1313:2313:3313:4313:5314:0214:1214:2214:3214:4214:5215:0315:1315:2315:3315:4315:5316:0316:1316:2316:3316:4316:5317:0317:1317:2317:3317:4317:5318:0318:1318:2218:3118:4118:5119:0119:1119:2219:3219:4219:5420:0620:1620:2720:3820:5321:0821:2221:3721:5222:0722:2022:3522:5023:0523:2023:3523:5000:05
Newham Town Hall (Stop O) 00:2500:4000:5501:0901:3902:0902:3903:0903:3904:0904:4005:1005:4005:5806:1306:2806:4306:5507:0607:1707:2707:3707:4707:5708:0708:1708:2808:3808:4808:5809:0809:1809:2809:3809:4809:5810:0810:1810:2810:3810:4810:5811:0811:1911:3011:4011:5012:0012:1012:2012:3012:4112:5113:0113:1113:2113:3113:4113:5114:0114:1014:2014:3014:4014:5015:0015:1115:2115:3115:4115:5116:0116:1116:2116:3116:4116:5117:0117:1117:2117:3117:4117:5118:0118:1118:2118:3018:3918:4918:5919:0919:1919:2919:3919:4920:0120:1220:2220:3320:4420:5921:1421:2821:4321:5822:1222:2522:4022:5523:1023:2523:4023:5500:10
Barking Station (Stop L) 00:3200:4701:0201:1601:4602:1602:4603:1603:4604:1604:4705:1705:4706:0606:2106:3606:5107:0307:1407:2507:3507:4507:5508:0508:1608:2608:3708:4708:5709:0709:1709:2709:3709:4709:5710:0710:1710:2710:3710:4710:5711:0711:1711:2811:3911:4911:5912:0912:1912:2912:3912:5013:0013:1013:2013:3013:4013:5014:0014:1014:2014:3014:4014:5015:0115:1115:2215:3215:4215:5216:0216:1216:2216:3316:4316:5417:0417:1417:2417:3417:4417:5418:0418:1418:2418:3418:4318:5219:0219:1119:2019:2919:3919:4919:5920:1120:2220:3220:4220:5321:0721:2221:3621:5122:0522:1922:3222:4723:0223:1723:3223:4700:0200:17

Each column is one journey, headed by the time it sets off. Times are shown at the route's main timing stops — buses serve all stops in between. Switch a table to All stops for every stop it calls at, or open a stop's own page for live departures there.

London flat fare: £1.75 with contactless or Oyster — the Hopper fare includes unlimited bus/tram changes within an hour, with daily caps. Cash isn't accepted on London buses.

Christmas & bank holidays

These dates are not the usual timetable for the day they fall on. They come from the operator’s published data, which for Christmas and New Year is often late or incomplete, so check with Stagecoach London before you travel. Everything above is an ordinary week.

Not published yet: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, 27 December, 28 December, 29 December, 30 December, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and 2 January. Operators often publish festive timetables only a few weeks ahead, so check again nearer the date.

Route map

All stops on route 238

How busy is route 238?

3.65m passenger journeys were recorded on route 238 in 2024/25 across 494,109 kilometres operated. That is down from a peak of 4.83m in 2010/11.

2010/11: 4,826,356 journeys 4.8 10 2011/12: 4,556,760 journeys (53-week year) 4.6 11 53w 2012/13: 4,610,514 journeys 4.6 12 2013/14: 4,795,766 journeys 4.8 13 2014/15: 4,478,841 journeys 4.5 14 2015/16: 4,359,526 journeys 4.4 15 2016/17: 4,577,631 journeys 4.6 16 2017/18: 4,421,946 journeys (53-week year) 4.4 17 53w 2018/19: 4,526,016 journeys 4.5 18 2019/20: 4,682,901 journeys 4.7 19 2020/21: 2,177,109 journeys 2.2 20 2021/22: 3,622,557 journeys 3.6 21 2022/23: 4,226,855 journeys 4.2 22 2023/24: 4,217,304 journeys (53-week year) 4.2 23 53w 2024/25: 3,649,695 journeys 3.6 24

Millions of passenger journeys per financial year, from Transport for London's published bus statistics. A passenger journey is one boarding of one bus — someone commuting five days a week makes ten of them, so this is not a count of people. Years marked 53w ran 53 weeks rather than 52, so they sit about 2% high against their neighbours. TfL changed how boardings were estimated in 2017 and restated 2016/17 on the new basis; the chart uses the restated figure, so years before 2016/17 are not exactly comparable with those after. Route-level totals do not sum to TfL's network figures, which carry separate adjustments. Powered by TfL Open Data. Compare every London route →

Towns & areas on this route

Frequently asked questions

What time is the first 238 bus?

The 238 runs 24 hours a day, so there is no first or last 238 bus — the night timetable is below.

What time is the last 238 bus?

There is no last 238 bus: the 238 runs through the night, every night it runs.

How much does the 238 bus cost?

London buses use TfL's flat fare: £1.75 per journey with contactless or Oyster, and the Hopper fare gives you unlimited bus and tram changes within one hour. Daily and weekly caps limit what you can spend. Cash is not accepted.

Who runs the 238 bus?

The 238 is operated by Stagecoach London.

Timetable data from Stagecoach London via the DfT Bus Open Data Service (London feed). Route names, stop sequences and map geometry come from TfL Open Data. Check before you travel — services can change at short notice.