London Superloop sees rise in patronage

Passenger demand on the capital’s first Superloop services is 15% higher than the bus network average, reports Transport for London (TfL).

The limited stop services link town centres, railway stations, hospitals, transport hubs and other key locations from Arnos Grove in the north to Woolwich in the east, Croydon in the south and Hayes in the west.

In total, the new Superloop services have added more than six million bus kilometres to the capital's network, more than the four million originally forecast, according to TfL.

The first Superloop route, SL8, which runs between Uxbridge and White City, was launched in July 2023. Since then the 10 bus routes have been introduced in phases and now almost fully encircle the capital.

The network now connects people using it with 310 other bus routes, 49 rail stations and 23 different rail lines, said TfL, adding that the 138km loop connects key locations across outer London. It cites early ridership figures that show that almost half of all Superloop journeys involve an interchange with another mode of public transport.

The three newest routes are the SL2 between Walthamstow Central and North Woolwich; the SL3 service between Thamesmead and Bromley North; and the SL5 between Bromley North and Croydon Town Centre.

The final route in the new network, the SL4, will begin operating between Canary Wharf and Grove Park once Silvertown Tunnel opens in 2025.

All Superloop buses are due to be fitted with luggage racks and USB charging ports by next month.

More than 95% of Londoners now live within 400 metres of a bus stop, TfL estimates. Beyond the Superloop, Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is committed to enhancing the bus network across outer London.“ These more localised changes - like the recent changes in Sutton and Croydon, which added over 500,000 kilometres to the network - are no less significant than the Superloop and make the bus network, bigger, easier and more efficient, while improving access to places where people need to travel,” he said.

“When I made the tough decision to expand the ULEZ London-wide, one of my key commitments to Londoners was to improve transport links in outer London.”