London’s Superloop express bus network celebrates one year anniversary
- Ridership on the first Superloop route - the SL8 - has increased by 18 per cent between June 2023 and May 2024
- The Superloop has circled the entire capital since March, with a further route launching when Silvertown Tunnel opens in 2025
- The 138km loop connects key locations across outer London, adding more than six million kilometres per year to the capital's network
One year ago, Transport for London (TfL) launched the SL8, the very first route to carry the Superloop branding. New data shows the average increase in passengers on all Superloop corridors (including parallel routes) since the June 2023 baseline is 11 per cent, nine per cent higher than the network average. Increasing numbers of customers are seeing the benefits of the game-changing network of express bus services, with new Superloop services adding more than six million bus kilometres per year to the capital's network, above the four million originally forecast. The Superloop network connects people using it with 310 other bus routes, 49 rail stations and 23 rail lines, improving outer London's connectivity.
The SL8 route, which runs between Uxbridge and White City, was the first of four existing routes to be renumbered over the summer last year to provide customers with an instantly recognisable express bus service in outer London. The route has the highest average weekday demand of all Superloop routes as patronage increased by 18 per cent between June 2023 and May 2024. Improvements on the SL8 included a change to the timetable with improved frequencies and expanded operating hours to provide more early morning and evening services, as well as USB charging and new priority seating.
The Superloop network is helping to increase bus patronage around London. The SL7, which launched on 19 August 2023 and replaced the previous X26 route between West Croydon and Heathrow Airport, saw the largest increase in Superloop patronage between June 2023 and May 2024, with there being a 91 per cent increase in journeys as a result of the doubling in service frequency. Once the change in patronage on parallel routes was taken into account, corridor demand increased by 21 per cent. Patronage on the SL6 route from Russell Square to West Croydon also increased by 20 per cent in the same period. Furthermore, growth on the five most recent routes to launch, SL1, SL2, SL3, SL5 and SL10 was 16 per cent higher in May than June 2023 in terms of average weekday corridor demand.
Bus ridership continues to grow across the network with 1.86 billion bus journeys made in 2023/2024. More than 95 per cent of Londoners live within 400 metres of a bus stop, with buses being the most accessible, sustainable and affordable form of public transport. The Superloop connects town centres, hospitals, schools and transport hubs and other key locations across outer London. Early ridership figures show that almost half of all Superloop journeys involve an interchange with another mode of public transport, showing the important role it is already playing in outer London's connectivity. Alongside the daily cap, the Mayor's Hopper Fare means customers can take unlimited journeys within an hour for just £1.75, saving Londoners money on multi-route journeys, and encouraging more sustainable travel.
The final route in the new Superloop network, SL4, will begin operating between Canary Wharf and Grove Park once Silvertown Tunnel opens in 2025.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "The Superloop is making a real difference improving public transport in Outer London, adding more than six million additional bus kilometres per year to the capital's bus network and linking stations, town centres, hospitals and transport hubs.
"This new data shows that if you build it, people will come and use it, and this is just the start. I have bold ambitions to deliver even more improvements to London's bus network, including Superloop 2 which would double the number of Superloop services and support my aim to build a fairer, greener London for all."
Nick Owen, TfL's Director of Buses, said: "It is encouraging to see customer demand continuing to grow in response to a new express service in outer London within its first year of inception. The data shows it's already transforming travel with millions of journeys each year. Initial feedback is looking very positive and proving popular with customers as many of the Superloop routes are still relatively new. Work is not done however, and we continue to review customer demand and feedback to make sure we are always adapting to customers' needs and making improvements where needed."
Notes to editors
- Further details about the success of the Superloop routes can be found here - https://board.tfl.gov.uk/documents/s22634/csopp-20240710-Part1-item08-bus-ridership-and-superloop-monitoring%20Update.pdf
- TfL launched route SL8 which runs between Uxbridge and White City 15 July 2023, the very first route to carry the Superloop branding, followed by route SL6 which runs between West Croydon and Russell Square. SL7 running between West Croydon and Heathrow Central went into service in August 2023, followed by SL9, offering an instantly recognisable express bus service between Heathrow and Harrow
- Phase two, which included the SL10, the first of the brand new routes, launched on 25 November 2023 between Harrow and North Finchley. The SL1, which runs between North Finchley and Walthamstow, launched at the beginning of December. The SL5 connecting Bromley to and Croydon and SL3 from Thamesmead to Bromley launched earlier this year in February. The SL2 from Walthamstow to North Woolwich launched in March 2024
- The remaining SL4 route connecting Canary Wharf and Grove Park will be in service when Silvertown Tunnel opens in 2025
- For more information about the proposed Superloop express bus network, please visit: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/buses/superloop