Londoners are being asked to share their thoughts on a new proposed Superloop express bus route through the city’s north-east suburbs.
Transport for London (TfL) has launched a consultation on its mooted SL12 service between Gants Hill and Rainham, with stops at Newbury Park, Romford and Elm Park stations.
It would be the first Superloop bus to serve the borough of Havering - and comes after mayor Sir Sadiq Khan was criticised for failing to include the area when the Superloop was first announced in 2023.
City Hall Conservatives’ deputy leader Emma Best said at the time that Havering’s residents were being “completely screwed” by their borough’s omission from the network - and the mayor was later urged by the London Assembly’s cross-party transport committee to rectify the situation.
Sir Sadiq promised in his re-election manifesto last year to double the size of the existing Superloop network through the creation of ten new routes, of which SL12 would be one.
“We are pleased to be working with TfL on a proposed SL12 Superloop route in the borough, something our residents really need and want,” said Havering Council leader Ray Morgon.
“This will help towards improving our north-south connectivity. The success of the Superloop speaks for itself and because of this, we would like more coverage of the borough.
“So we encourage residents to get involved in the consultation to inform this new, exciting, much-needed rapid bus route in the borough.”
Services would run between roughly 5am and half past midnight each day, with buses every 12 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes, and every 15 minutes in the evening, on Sundays and early morning weekdays.
As well as linking local Tube and railway stations, the SL12 would also call in at King George Hospital in Goodmayes, East Road in Chadwell Heath, and Queen’s Hospital in Romford.
After a stop in Rainham’s town centre, the route would terminate at the Ferry Lane Industrial estate on the banks of the Thames. TfL points out that this would be the first time a bus has served the industrial estate, which it hopes will support local businesses and employees.
“Following on from the success of the Superloop express bus services in outer London, we know there is a much-needed demand for these routes,” said Geoff Hobbs, TfL’s director of public transport service planning.
“Buses are still the most affordable and green way to travel around the capital, and offering new public transport options will better connect the local community to the rest of London.
“We are committed to working closely with the relevant boroughs to ensure these express bus routes work for all and encourage everyone to respond to the consultation.”
For the route’s Gants Hill terminus, TfL has suggested stopping buses on Perth Road. It says this would “require some changes to the road highway layout, which we would discuss with the London Borough of Redbridge”.
TfL’s consultation on the proposed route remains open until Friday, May 23. Londoners can give their feedback by visiting: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/sl12-superloop
