Sadiq Khan has said Londoners will benefit from free journeys for the first week
Another part of East London will benefit from an express bus service with the arrival of the SL12. The Superloop route between Gants Hill and Rainham will begin operating on Saturday, September 5, with Transport for London offering free travel for the first week.
Transport for London said the route across Redbridge and Havering boroughs will have a transformative impact and vastly improve connections in outer East London. In late 2024, bus cuts in Romford led to severe backlash from former Havering Council leader Ray Morgon, who slammed Sir Sadiq Khan for expanding ULEZ while snubbing the area during the initial Superloop launch.
These public transport concerns have now been addressed with the new express route, which will connect Gants Hill, Romford, Elm Park and Rainham. It’s designed to provide quicker journeys to workplaces and shops in Romford, and to improve connections to the Central and District London Underground lines.
Since its launch in 2023, Superloop now encompasses 9.6 million bus kilometres across the capital. TfL said ridership on these new routes is 12 per cent higher than journeys on standard buses.
The SL12 will operate between 5.30am and 12.30am on all days of the week. From Monday to Saturday, buses will run every 12 minutes, decreasing to every 15 minutes during the evening and on Sunday.
Other improvements across the Superloop network will increase bus frequency on the SL9, which operates between Heathrow and Harrow, while new electric buses have been introduced on the SL2 between Walthamstow and North Woolwich.
Further Superloop routes between Stratford and Chingford Hatch, and between Clapham Junction and Eltham, will launch next year, TfL has confirmed.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Our Superloop network has been a game-changer for bus travel in outer London, offering quicker, more convenient journeys around the capital. I’m delighted that our latest Superloop express route, SL12, will now be connecting communities in Gants Hill and Rainham and providing faster links between town centres, railway stations and hospitals.
“The success of the Superloop is one of my proudest achievements as Mayor, and I’ll continue to explore how we can keep improving London’s bus network and build a better, fairer London for everyone.”
Lorna Murphy, TfL’s Director of Buses, added: “We’re thrilled to be able to deliver yet another Superloop express bus service for Londoners, with services on the game-changing network now expanding into Havering for the first time. The SL12 will boost travel and journey times in northeast and east London, taking people across the area to local shops and amenities and onwards to fast and convenient Elizabeth line and Tube connections at Romford, Newbury Park, Elm Park and Gants Hill.”
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