Expanding the Superloop bus network

Overview

Superloop expansion proposals

Working with boroughs

Next steps for the proposed Superloop expansion

How to get involved

Overview

The Mayor of London and TfL are proposing to continue the expansion of the Superloop network to provide additional express bus routes.

In January, we announced proposals for an initial expansion of the Superloop network to provide additional express bus routes, including a new express Bakerloop bus route, as well as routes SL11 and SL12. We have now announced our plans to introduce the Bakerloop service this autumn.

We are now proposing to develop further this network of express bus routes to connect even more places in London. These plans will help to ensure buses continue to play a critical role in a green, healthy, and inclusive future for London, where more trips are made by public transport, walking and cycling, and fewer by private car. The Bakerloop leads the way for the expansion of the Superloop network, delivering on the Mayor’s commitment to further enhance public transport in outer London

The next phase of the expansion would include the following proposed express bus services:

• Route SL13 – Ealing Broadway to Hendon
• Route SL14 – Stratford bus station to Chingford Hatch
• Route SL15 – Clapham Junction to Eltham station

These proposals will help improve public transport connectivity and capacity in the northeast, northwest and south London areas. These proposals would also provide new direct and quicker journey opportunities to major transport hubs and interchanges, while also supporting local plans for sustainable growth and development. These proposed routes have been selected to run along busy regional road corridors with limited direct rail provision providing new and quicker orbital connections.

Consultations on these proposals would begin in autumn 2025, and subject to the outcome, it is proposed that this expansion would be introduced in stages.

Our plans to consult on routes SL13, SL14 and SL15 marks the next milestone for Superloop expansion and reflects the Mayor’s commitment to work at pace to improve public transport in outer London.

You can view maps of what this next phase of Superloop expansion proposals could look like.

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Superloop expansion proposals

The Superloop was first launched in 2023. This bus network is providing customers with quicker journey times in outer London to key places such as town centres, hospitals, schools, and transport interchanges. This is helping to make sustainable bus travel a popular option for more people. The growth in demand on Superloop corridors is 11 per cent higher than the bus network average. The current network connects people using it with 329 other bus routes, 55 rail stations and 26 rail lines, improving connectivity in outer London.

Earlier this year, we announced plans for an initial expansion of the Superloop network. The proposals for the Bakerloop service, numbered route BL1, operating between Waterloo, Elephant & Castle and Lewisham town centre were consulted on between January and March 2025.

Following the consultation, we have announced that we will be taking forward our proposals and passenger service is expected to begin later this year.

This express bus service will follow the same route as the proposed Bakerloo line extension from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham. It will therefore serve both existing stations and areas where new stations are proposed, enabling us to deliver express bus capacity and other benefits to southeast London in advance of the proposed extension of the tube line.

The consultation report is available here. We are working closely with Southwark Council, which has part-funded the service through Section 106 funding from development in the area. We are also working with Lambeth Council and Lewisham Council.

In spring 2025, we also consulted on our proposals for route SL11, which would run between Abbey Wood and North Greenwich, and route SL12, which would run between Rainham and Gants Hill. We will be announcing those consultation outcomes later in the year.

As part of the next milestone for Superloop expansion, we are developing our plans for routes SL13, SL14 and SL15 and we plan to consult on these proposals later this year.

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Working with boroughs

We are working closely with the relevant boroughs to ensure these plans work for London’s communities. This work will help us develop proposals that complement the growth plans of these local authorities, while also ensuring operational and infrastructure requirements for the proposed bus routes are met.

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Next steps for the proposed Superloop expansion

Proposals for routes SL13, SL14 and SL15 will be subject to a public consultation, starting in autumn 2025.

All customer and stakeholder feedback will be used to help shape our decision making on the new routes.

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How to get involved

To register your interest in these Superloop expansion consultations and receive updates, please click the 'Subscribe' button below. We will then notify you once further consultations are launched so you can tell us your views about the schemes being proposed.

Before the consultations start, you can also ask questions about the proposed Superloop expansion, using the Questions tool below. Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions first in case your question has already been answered.

Any question submitted via the Questions tool will not be used as part of the consultation. You’ll need to respond to the consultations once they launch so we can include all your views. The consultations will include more information about the proposals, and we want to include all your feedback to help inform our decision.