The wheels on yet another speedy Superloop bus service will be going round and round from this weekend, as the city’s ever-expanding family of express routes is set to welcome its newest member. Since 2023, TfL has been levelling up London’s bus offering with its nifty network of Superloop services. The new rapid route on the block comes in the form of SL12 – and will whizz passengers between Ilford and Rainham via Romford from September 5.
The SL12 Superloop bus route
The Superloop network is venturing into the borough of Havering for the very first time with the SL12 service. This particular route will run between Gants Hill in Ilford and Ferry Lane in Rainham. It will follow the same route as the current 66 service for the first part of the journey, before joining the 165 and 372 routes for the latter part of the journey. This new route will provide much easier access to other nearby transport links, including the Elizabeth Line, the Central Line, and the District Line.
Once the route is up and running, it will operate from 5.30am to 12.30am daily. On Mondays to Fridays, there will be a service every 12 minutes, and on Sunday, there will be a service every 15 minutes. As with previous Superloop launches, the SL12 will be completely free to ride for the first 7 days.
The SL12 Superloop service will launch at 5.30am on September 5. Pay-as-you-go passengers can travel for free onboard the route from then until 11.59pm on September 11. It’s worth noting that passengers will still need to tap in with a valid Oyster card, contactless card, or payment device – but they will not be charged.
Lorna Murphy, Director of Buses at TfL, said: “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 connection at Romford, Newbury Park, Elm Park and Gants Hill. We’re also excited to be able to offer customers free journeys on the SL12 for the first week and I’d like to encourage everyone in the area to try out this new, sustainable, accessible transport link.”
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “Our Superloop network has been a gamechanger 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.”
