To mark its one-year anniversary, Transport for London (TfL) and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have praised growth for the Superloop network.
The 138km long network has added six million km per year to the capital since its launch on 15 July 2023 and has carried some 1.86 billion journeys over 2023 and 2024, with an average growth on all routes since June 2023 9% higher than the network average.
The first route to carry Superloop branding was the SL8 route between Uxbridge and White City, which saw improvements such as a timetable change with improved frequencies, expanded operating hours with more early morning and evening services, as well as USB charging and priority seating. The route has the highest weekday demand of all Superloop routes and ridership has risen 18% between June 2023 and May.
SL7, launched on 19 August 2023, replaced the previous X26 route between West Croydon and Heathrow Airport. That route saw the largest increase in journeys as a result of the doubling in service frequency and when the change in patronage on parallel routes is taken into account, has seen corridor demand increase by 21%.
Ridership on the SL6 route, from Russell Square to West Croydon, has increased by 20% in the same period.
The five most recent routes to launch — SL1, SL2, SL3, SL5, and SL10 — all show ridership 16% higher in May than June 2023 in terms of average weekday corridor demand.
The figures come ahead of an anticipated announcement detailing more of Superloop 2, for which hints were dropped earlier this year.
“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,” says Mr Khan. “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.”
Adds Nick Owen, TfL’s Director of Buses: “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.”
Phase 2 of Superloop launched on 25 November 2023 with the SL10 service between Harrow and North Finchley. The network has encircled the Capital since March, with the launch of SL2 from Walthamstow to North Woolwich in March, and the final route, SL4 between Canary Wharf and Grove Park, will be in service when Silvertown Tunnel opens in 2025.
