Expand the Superloop to boost outer London transport

There must be more joined up thinking when it comes to outer London transport, with an outer London transport taskforce suggested to help implement necessary improvements.

More orbital bus services must also be introduced as part of the Superloop, to ensure better public transport access for outer London boroughs.

That is the view of the London Assembly Transport Committee, which has today written to the Mayor outlining the key findings of its investigation into outer London transport.

The Superloop is a network of 10 express bus routes that was launched in July 2023 and, once complete, will form a complete ring around outer London, including four existing routes and six new routes.^[1]

During the Committee’s two-part investigation on outer London’s transport network, the Committee heard from key stakeholders on the impact the Superloop has had on outer London residents’ access to public transport, as well as the issues the infrequency of public transport in outer London has on residents.

The Committee heard that the new Superloop services have been generally welcomed, but that there is a need for more of these types of orbital bus services - to include currently excluded boroughs such as Havering - and also for more bus priority measures.

Because of this, the Committee has today written to the Mayor with 12 recommendations, including:

• TfL should look to introduce other new orbital bus services to serve areas not covered by the current Superloop service, including extending new Superloop services to boroughs such as Havering.
• TfL should publish a detailed ‘6-month on’ review of Superloop services by March 2024, including trends in passenger numbers, and undertake (and publish) further research into how people access and interchange with these buses.
• The Mayor should convene a taskforce in 2024-25 to address the specific transport issues of outer London. This would include working closely with neighbouring authorities to agree and implement a detailed series of improvements to address transport challenges in outer London, including ‘orbital’ travel and across the Greater London boundary in the coming years.
• The Mayor should work with the Government and Rail Operators to ensure that all metro rail services in Outer London centres achieve a turn-up-and-go (TUAG) frequency, with at least four services an hour.

Keith Prince AM, Chairman of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said:

“For London to continue to thrive, we must ensure Transport for London’s network connects the entirety of the city.

“Outer London has been crying out for improved transport links for some time, and the Superloop has helped alleviate some pressures on outer London residents.

“However, the existing routes do not do enough for all outer London boroughs, so it is vital that the Mayor and TfL expand on the Superloop to other boroughs

“There needs to be a more cohesive approach when it comes to outer London transport, and we believe that an outer London transport taskforce would help push forward the changes needed.

“As the way we travel continues to adapt, the Mayor must ensure he takes appropriate steps to make travel as easy and accessible for Londoners as possible, and we urge him to seriously consider our recommendations.”