SL11 Superloop Bus Launches: Free Travel & Faster Journeys

The SL11 Superloop service, London’s 11th express bus route, is set to launch on Saturday, January 24th. This new addition to the expanding orbital bus network will connect Abbey Wood and North Greenwich, traveling via Thamesmead. For its inaugural week, passengers on the SL11 will enjoy free travel; a touch-in with Oyster or a contactless card will still be required but no fare will be charged. The Superloop concept streamlines existing routes, with the SL11 replacing the daytime 472 bus service.

A key benefit of the SL11 is its more direct path, particularly through Woolwich town centre, which is estimated to save passengers around 15 minutes on journeys between Abbey Wood and North Greenwich. The service also boasts significantly higher frequency than its predecessor, running every six minutes during daytimes from Monday to Saturday (7 am-9 pm), and every 10-12 minutes at other times, except early Sunday mornings when it will be every 15 minutes. It also provides seamless connections with Superloop route SL3 at Abbey Wood. For late-night travelers, an N472 service will continue to operate, covering all stops of the former 472 route during early hours.

This launch underscores a commitment to improving transport links in southeast London, enhancing connections to more central areas. It complements future infrastructure projects, such as the DLR extension to Thamesmead, anticipated in the early 2030s. The Superloop network has proven highly successful since its July 2023 introduction, having already served approximately 60 million passengers. No specific risks associated with the SL11 launch were mentioned in the article.

(Source: https://londonist.com/london/transport/sl11-superloop-january)