The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced plans for a network of limited-stop express bus routes that circle the entire capital – connecting outer London town centres, railway stations, hospitals and transport hubs, faster.
The Superloop will provide quicker journey times, with the Mayor of London providing £6m funding as an initial catalyst to improvements to outer London orbital bus services. It is proposed to be introduced in stages with some routes that would become part of the Superloop now in operation, providing quick links across outer London. This includes the X140 connecting Heathrow and Harrow, and a more frequent route X26 connecting Heathrow and West Croydon. The next new part of the outer London bus network will be the route linking Harrow with North Finchley, subject to consultation. TfL is working with the relevant boroughs on initial proposals for this next section and will consult on the route in the coming months.
Following that, views will be sought on future sections of the orbital network. These proposed future sections include a limited-stop express link between North Finchley and Walthamstow and between Walthamstow and the Royal Docks via Ilford. Links are also proposed between Bexleyheath, Bromley and Croydon. Some of the benefits of the proposed Superloop will be realised later this year, with the X26 doubling in frequency so that buses run every 15 minutes instead of every 30 minutes.
The Superloop brand is designed to work with the iconic London Buses brand by using a new roundel and bus livery to ensure clear identification of the new service, but still recognisable as part of the London Buses network. The new branding will also feature on maps, timetables and other pieces of customer information.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, 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. I am delivering on that commitment as we announce the Superloop, the game-changing new network of express buses that will add over four million additional kilometres to our bus network in outer London, linking stations, town centres, hospitals and transport hubs. ese new routes will make it much easier for Londoners to get around the capital, and help build a better, greener London for everyone.”
Alex Williams, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at TfL, said:
“The Superloop is the jewel in the crown in our plans to strengthen alternatives to the private car ahead of the ULEZ expanding London-wide and is a game changer for outer London. For the first time we will be bringing a number of the capital’s town centres together with express orbital routes. We know these kinds of services are hugely popular from what we have seen in the rise in the number of people using the X140 during the week.
Shobi Khan, CEO of Canary Wharf Group, said:
“Canary Wharf is one of the best-connected places in London. We have created a vibrant mixed-use community offering an extraordinary environment for those who live, work and visit. Over 1.2 million people come to Canary Wharf each week. We already have direct services into Canary Wharf via the Elizabeth Line, Jubilee Line, Docklands Light Railway, and the Thames Clipper Service. We welcome the introduction of the Superloop as it will enable even more people across London to enjoy everything Canary Wharf has to offer.”
John Holland-Kaye, CEO of Heathrow Airport, added:
“Bus routes are vital for thousands of colleagues and passengers travelling to Heathrow. We welcome the announcement of a Superloop service that will provide quicker connections and we look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor to deliver vital connectivity in outer London.”
The Superloop will be designed to provide quicker journey times while still serving key hubs and interchanges with rail and local bus services.
In addition, TfL confirmed that more than £35m of further funding has been allocated to outer London boroughs to make streets healthier and safer for all as part of TfL’s Local Implementation Plan funding. The whole programme will see 29km of bus lane schemes and is providing £10.6m to London boroughs to deliver bus journey time improvements.
Enhanced public transport, walking and cycling options in outer London will help people move to more sustainable travel options. Recently announced TfL data shows that nine in 10 cars seen driving in outer London on an average day now meet the Ultra Low Emission Zone standards. It is expected that when the standards cover the larger area, the proportion will be even higher. The ULEZ has already been hugely successful in central and inner London, helping to reduce harmful nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels by 46% in central London and 21% in inner London. The ULEZ expansion will save nearly 27,000 tonnes of CO2 in outer London in its first year, more than double that which the central London ULEZ achieved in its first year of operation. Amongst other improvements, the expansion is forecast to make further progress to reduce air pollution, by reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from cars in outer London by 10 per cent and reducing PM2.5 car exhaust emissions in outer London by nearly 16%.
Londoners interested in the Mayor’s suggestion of improving outer London transport options with an orbital bus route can sign up for updates at haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/superloop and find more information about what TfL is doing to improve public transport in outer London at tfl.gov.uk/outer-london