More details have been released on Sadiq Khan’s plans to integrate existing bus routes and implement new ones into a Superloop system – with localised maps for some sections now available for the first time.
The Superloop will provide super-fast transport links between outer London boroughs, with designs showing new bus routes that link up to form a circle.
Four existing express bus routes will be rebranded into the ‘Superloop’ – 607, X26, X140 and X68 – and six new routes will be created.
It is part of a £6million investment by the Mayor alongside the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez).
As any seasoned London traveller will know, reaching the centre is a piece of cake, but traversing the suburbs can prove tricky – and lengthy.
It is hoped the Superloop will make journeying around the outer suburbs of London an easier task.
But when can we expect the service, how much will it cost, and where will it go?
Here’s everything you need to know about the new TfL system.
What is the Superloop route?
There are seven key orbital routes – consultation is now underway on the first section, Harrow to North Finchley, which will be known as the X183. Buses would run every 12 minutes Monday-Saturday and every 15 minutes on evenings and Sundays.
The consultation is open until 23.59 on 12 June 2023.
Here are the more detailed maps released so far:
The proposed routes will run inside the M25 orbital motorway, linking a number of key locations including Croydon, Kingston, Harrow, Finchley, Ilford, and Bromley.
There will also be an extra section on the Superloop not connected to the main circle, from Canary Wharf to Grove Park.
Future links are also proposed between Hillingdon, Hounslow, Brent, Bexleyheath, Bromley, Sutton and Havering.
The existing X26 connecting Heathrow and West Croydon, X140 which connects Heathrow and Harrow, 607 between Uxbridge and White City, and X68 which links Croydon and Russell Square, will be incorporated into the Superloop.
You can have your say on the first section of the Superloop and see more details on the dedicated Superloop page.
When could the Superloop start?
The aim is to have all 10 routes in operation by the end of 2024, with a route crossing the Thames in east and south-east London expected in 2025.
Mr Khan has pledged work on the Superloop will be ‘40% complete’ by summer this year.
Most new routes won’t be in place by the time Ulez zones change on August 29 – although some councils are challenging the introduction of Ulez in the courts – but it is hoped that the new system will open up a way to cover a greater area of London through the service.
How much will Superloop travel cost?
Fares on the Superloop will be no different to standard bus routes, £1.75.
The service will also allow the ‘hopper’ option which allows passengers to switch buses for no extra cost within an hour of starting their journey.
This will mean people can switch from a Superloop to a regular bus with ease during their journeys.
What has Sadiq Khan said about the Superloop?
The Mayor of London has said one of his ‘key commitments to Londoners’ after making the ‘tough decision’ to expand the Ulez system was to improve transport links in outer London.
Introducing: The Superloop.
ð A proposed major expansion of our bus network, connecting outer London, quicker.
ð10 limited-stop express bus routes that circle the entire capital, making it easier than ever to move around our city.
Stay in the loop â¡ï¸ https://t.co/8FrImHDYFW pic.twitter.com/FMwntVHxc2
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) March 28, 2023
‘Today I am delivering on that commitment as we announce the Superloop,’ he said at an event today (March 29)
He additionally described the system as a ‘game-changing new network of express buses.’
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