While London is definitely one of the most popular metropolitan cities in the world, it sure has its own problems. If you live on the outskirts of London, travelling across the city using public transport must surely have been a task. But fret not, London is all set to ease its outskirt travellers’ woes, this weekend.
London Launches First Superloop Bus This Weekend
Big announcement yesterday 🎉
The Superloop will be a game-changer for outer London, enabling faster and more direct bus services to town centres and stations. It’s a game-changer for travelling in outer London. pic.twitter.com/XMEJVuQTJr
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) March 29, 2023
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced the launch of the city’s first Superloop bus route on July 15. This development brings improved travel convenience to residents in London’s outer boroughs, reports TimeOut.
But wait, what exactly is a Superloop bus? The Superloop is a limited-stop, high-speed bus service designed to operate between London’s outer boroughs.
Its primary goal is to eventually form a loop around the entire capital, linking important town centres, stations, and transportation hubs across Greater London. According to reports, the new bus service aims to decrease car usage in the city’s outskirts, aligning with Sadiq’s ambitious goal of expanding the ULEZ to cover all of London by August 2023.
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What You Need To Know About The Lastest Bus
One of the buses, currently designated as the 607, is already operational between Uxbridge and White City. Superloop will rebrand it in its retro colours and renumber it to SL8.
Additionally, three other existing routes – the X140 and the X26 (both serving Heathrow) and the X68 (linking Croydon and Russell Square).
These will also be renumbered and rebranded as Superloop buses during the summer. Passengers will find branded “priority seat” moquette seat covers, USB charging points, and enhanced onboard route information on the buses.
Evening Standard reported that Superloop has set the price for the trip at £1.75, which is the same as regular London buses. The report also said that the route will initially utilize the same diesel-battery electric vehicles employed on existing express routes.
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As the six new routes are tendered, fully electric buses will be gradually introduced over time. Once fully operational, the Superloop will consist of ten routes, with seven connecting outer boroughs and three links to central London.
However, it may take some time to establish the complete loop. Five of the six new routes are scheduled for launch by spring 2024, pending consultation.
Let us know what you think about the Superloop in the comments.
Cover image courtesy: Canva and Wikimedia Commons