Superloop -February 2024
This article on the Londonist, shows the latest status of the Superloop on this TfL map.
Note.
- The recently opened; SL3 has a lot of stops including Abbey Wood on the Elizabeth Line.
- SL4 will go through the Silvertown Tunnel.
- Since it opened, I’ve never needed to use a Superloop route going about my daily business.
I have this feeling, that a couple of years after it fully opens, there will be a few modifications to the route.
Riding The SL8 Bus Between Shepherd’s Bush Market And Uxbridge Stations – 16th July 2023
This draft map from TfL illustrates the concept of the Superloop.
The spoke on the Western side of the map is route SL8 between White City and Uxbridge stations.
This morning I rode the route between Shepherd’s Bush Market and Uxbridge stations and took these pictures.
Note.
- Some of the buses have still to be painted in the new white-topped Superloop livery.
- The buses are diesel-powered.
- The stops have their own livery.
- I estimate the route is 12.3 miles long and the bus took 67 minutes.
- The frequency appeared to be typically four buses per hour.
- The route is mainly dual-carriageway to the West of Ealing Hospital.
Route SL8 used to be route 607 and except for the branding nothing has changed.
I have few thoughts.
The Concept
The concept seemed to work well, where the roads were free of traffic.
But we get get a bit delayed through places like Ealing Broadway, where parking reduced the width of the road.
The Route
The route connects quite a few stations and other important locations.
From East to West they include.
- Westfield Shopping Centre
- Shepherd’s Bush station for the Central Line and the Overground.
- Shepherd’s Bush Market station for the Hammersmith and City Line
- Acton Central station for the Overground
- Ealing Common station for the District and Piccadilly Lines.
- Ealing Broadway station for the Central, District and Elizabeth Lines.
- Ealing Broadway
- Ealing Town Hall
- Ealing Hospital
- Southall Broadway
- Hayes
Note.
- The route is very much the same as the now-abandoned West London Tram, which was proposed twenty years ago.
- The tram was opposed y the three London boroughs on the route, as it cut them in half. But buses don’t cause the same problems.
- The Superloop map shows that the SL8 bus calls at Hayes and Harlington station, but we went nowhere near it today.
- The route with its sections of dual carriageway and congested shopping streets was a bit like the route o Birmingham’s hydrogen buses, that I wrote about in Riding Birmingham’s New Hydrogen-Powered Buses.
I feel as the route is very similar to the West London Tram, which was probably extensively researched, that there won’t be too many changes to this route.
Parking Along The Route
I wouldn’t be surprised to see more parking restrictions along the route, to speed up the buses in the crowded shopping streets like Acton, Ealing Broadway and Southall Broadway.
The Buses
The buses are Egyptian-built eVoSeti diesel buses, which use a Volvo chassis.
- I don’t like these buses as they don’t have a flat floor and I’ve seen some passengers struggling with the stairs on the lower deck.
- At least the stairs to the upper deck aren’t too bad.
We used to have them locally in Dalston and I used to avoid them, if there was another bus close behind.
This new route, though should be served by zero-carbon buses, so that pollution and carbon emissions are reduced.
- Between White City and Uxbridge takes over an hour.
- A battery-electric bus would need recharging during the day.
- It looks like there’s not much space at White City and Uxbridge stations, to install charging stations.
- A hydrogen-powered bus could probably manage all day on one filling.
For these reasons, I suspect that hydrogen buses would be the preferred option.
Riding The 34 Bus Between Arnos Grove Station And Walthamstow Bus Station
To continue on the route of the Superloop, I needed to get to North Walthamstow bus station, so I took a 34 bus from Arnos Grove station to Walthamstow bus station. I took these pictures.
Note.
- The route was along the North Circular Road and then into Walthamstow from the Crooked Billet roundabout.
- The North Circular Road was grade separated but quite congested.
- The North Circular Road has a 40 mph speed limit.
- There was only one station on the route; Silver Street, by the North Middlesex Hospital.
- Walthamstow bus interchange is by Walthamstow Central station and has reasonable amounts of space.
The journey took about 67 minutes.
I have two thoughts.
The Route Of The Bus 34 Could Be Part Of The Superloop
I feel my journey today, proved that this would be part of a feasible Superloop leg between North Finchley and Walthamstow Central bus stations.
This Google Map shows the route between North Finchley bus station and Arnos Grove Underground station.
Note.
- North Finchley bus station is shown by the red arrow!
- Arnos Grove Underground station is shown by an Underground roundel in the North-East corner of the map.
- The light yellow road at the East side of the map is the North Circular Road.
There would appear to be a road connecting North Finchley bus station and Arnos Grove Underground station, that runs across the top of the map.
The road passes to the North of New Southgate station, which could be one of the Northern termini of Crossrail 2.
Edmonton
This Google Map shows the North Middlesex University Hospital.
Note.
- The North Circular Road running across the map.
- The North Middlesex University Hospital in the South-West corner of the map.
- The London Overground and Silver Street station in the East of the map.
- There are several bus stops in the area.
This area could be turned into a comprehensive and very useful transport interchange.
Conclusion
The Superloop leg between North Finchley and Walthamstow Central bus stations has possibilities.
Riding The 112 Bus Between Brent Cross And North Finchley Bus Station
To continue on the route of the Superloop, I needed to get to North Finchley bus station, so I took a 112 bus from Brent Cross to North Finchley. I took these pictures.
Note.
- The bus was only a single-decker.
- The route was along the North Circular Road and then North on the A1000.
- The North Circular Road was grade separated but quite congested.
- The North Circular Road has a 40 mph speed limit.
- Strangely, we didn’t pass a train, Underground or Overground station.
- Both Brent Cross and North Finchley bus interchanges have reasonable amounts of space.
The journey took about 20 minutes.
I have one thought.
Creating A Route Between Harrow And North Finchley Bus Stations
This would not appear to be difficult.
- Between Harrow bus station and Brent Cross, the route would be a simplified version of the 182 route, that I wrote about in Riding The 182 Bus Between Harrow Bus Station And Brent Cross. A more direct route would be taken between Wembley stadium and Brent Cross.
- The bus would just pop in to the large bus interchange at Brent Cross and then go straight back onto the North Circular Road.
- The North Circular Road is two lanes both way.
- The A1000 from the North Circular Road to North Finchley didn’t seem too crowded.
I suspect little work will need to be done to allow Superloop to run successfully between Harrow And North Finchley bus stations.
Riding The 182 Bus Between Harrow Bus Station And Brent Cross
I did this journey, which could be part of the Superloop, in good weather, and was able to take these pictures.
Note.
- The roads were not bad and were partly two lanes each way, with large roundabouts at junctions.
- I suspect the bus was going at between 30 and 40 mph most of the way.
- There was still quite a lot of traffic.
- It is a distance of about 7 miles.
- The timetable says that buses run every 10-13 minutes.
- Harrow-On-The-Hill station is next to Harrow Bus station.
- Harrow-On-The-Hill connects to the Metropolitan Line and Chiltern
- Northwick Park Hospital is on the route.
- Sudbury and Harrow Road station connects to Chiltern.
- South Harrow station connects to the Piccadilly Line.
- Wembley Central station connects to the Bakerloo and Watford DC Lines and National Rail.
- Wembley Stadium station connects to Chiltern.
- Wembley Park station connects to the Metropolitan and Jubilee Lines.
The journey took about 70 minutes, mainly because of the traffic at the road works.
I have a few thoughts.
The Route Of The Bus 182 Could Be Part Of The Superloop
I feel my journey today, proved that this would be part of a feasible Superloop leg between Harrow and North Finchley bus stations.
A Chiltern Metro
Wikipedia says this about a proposed metro service between Marylebone and West Ruislip stations.
- The Metro would have a frequency of four tph.
- It would call at Wembley Stadium, Sudbury & Harrow Road, Sudbury Hill Harrow, Northolt Park and South Ruislip.
- The service would require a reversing facility at West Ruislip.
- There would need to be passing loops at Sudbury Hill Harrow, and Wembley Stadium.
Given that the Chiltern Metro was first proposed over a decade ago, perhaps the concept could be increased in scope.
- Housing and other developments along the route may suggest that a station further out like High Wycombe might be a better terminal.
- ERTMS in-cab digital signalling is likely to be installed at some time, which would decrease headways between trains and allow more services.
- Electrification is likely in some form before 2040 and this will improve train performance.
- If Neasden station were to be rebuilt, as a comprehensive transport and residential development, I believe that this Metro service should also call at Neasden, as it would complement the West London Orbital Railway.
I believe that a review of the Chiltern Metro may mean, that an improved version is worth creating.
Superloop – Will It Be The North Circular Road Most Of The Way Between Harrow And Royal Docks?
This draft map from TfL illustrates the concept of Superloop.
In this post I am considering the section of the the North Circular Road (A406) between the Hangar Lane Gyratory System, where it crosses the A40 in the West and the roundabout , where it crosses the A13 at Beckton in the East.
- This section is a grade-separated dual-carriageway all of the way between Hangar Lane and Beckton.
- Hendon, North Finchley, Arnos Grove, Edmonton, Walthamstow, Ilford and Royal Docks are not far from the A406.
- Several bus routes already run on the A406.
The large Brent Cross Shopping Centre is also just outside the A406 and a new Brent Cross West station will be opening soon.
I’ll now look at the three Northern and North-Eastern sections.
Harrow And North Finchley
This section is shown in orange.
- It calls at Northwick Park hospital and Hendon. both have rail connections.
- Brent Cross Shopping Centre could be on the route, if the A406 is used.
- London Bus 182 runs between Harrow bus station and Brent Cross Shopping Centre via Northwick Park hospital.
Could the 182 bus be extended to North Finchley, where there is a new bus station?
This Google Map shows the stations around the Brent Cross Shopping Centre.
Note.
- The railway running between the North-West corner of the map and the bottom of the map is the Midland Main Line.
- The road running between the North-East corner of the map and the left of the map is the North Circular Road.
- The road running down the right hand side of the railway is the M1, which joins the A406 in the large junction.
- The other major road to the right of the map, is the Hendon Way.
- The station in the North-West corner of the map is Hendon.
- The station being built in the bottom of the map on the Midland Main Line, is the new Brent Cross West station.
- The station in the North-East corner of the map is Brent Cross on the Northern Line.
I am certain that a Superloop bus could run from Harrow bus station and Northwick Park hospital, and visit the required number of the stations around the Shopping Centre, before trundling on to the new North Finchley bus station for some refreshment before returning to Harrow.
I feel that the Superloop bus could use the North Circular Road from the shopping centre and then turn North on to Finchley High Road (A 1000).
North Finchley And Walthamstow
This section is shown in red.
- It calls at Arnos Grove and Edmonton.
- London Bus 34 runs between Walthamstow bus station and Barnet. It runs for some of the way along the North Circular Road and passes Arnos Grove, Silver Street and the North Middlesex Hospital.
I am certain, that a Superloop bus could run between Walthamstow bus station and North Finchley, using a similar route to the 34.
Walthamstow And Royal Docks
This section is shown in lime.
- It calls at Ilford for the Elizabeth Line.
I am certain, that a Superloop bus could run between Walthamstow bus station and Royal Docks, using a the A406 and the A13.
Conclusion
After this simple analysis, it looks possible to use the use the North Circular Road between Harrow and Royal Docks.
Riding The X140 Bus Between Heathrow Airport And Harrow Bus Station
I did this journey, which will be part of the Superloop, in better weather than yesterday, and was able to take these better pictures.
Note.
- The roads were much better than yesterday’s trip and were mostly two lanes each way, with large roundabouts at junctions.
- I suspect the bus was going at between 30 and 40 mph most of the way.
- There was still quite a lot of traffic.
- It is a distance of about 15 miles.
- The timetable says that buses run every 10-13 minutes.
- The X26 buses run between about six in the morning at midnight.
- There are twelve intermediate stops.
- Harrow-On-The-Hill station is next to Harrow Bus station.
- Heathrow Central connects to Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth and Piccadilly Lines.
- Hayes and Harlington connects to the Elizabeth Line and GWR’s local services.
- Northolt station connects to the Central Line.
- Northolt Park station connects to Chiltern.
- South Harrow station connects to the Piccadilly Line.
- Harrow-On-The-Hill connects to the Metropolitan Line and Chiltern
The journey took 49 minutes, which is only a minute longer than the timetable.
I have a few thoughts.
Passenger Numbers
These were my observations on my journey that started at about 11:30 on a dry day.
- Few got on at Heathrow Central, but I suspect we had just missed a bus.
- By Hayes & Harrington station, the bus was about a quarter full.
- At South Harrow station it must have been about three-quarters full.
- At Harrow bus station all the lower-deck seats were taken.
I would expect that the loading I saw fits with TfL’s expectations.
The Bus
The bus was one of the latest ADL battery-electric buses.
- It had a strong performance.
- It had wi-fi and phone charging.
- It was probably less than a year old.
- It was a lot better than yesterday’s bus!
At present not all buses on the route are battery-electric, as some are still older hybrids.
Travelling To Heathrow From The Northern Reaches Of The Metropolitan Line
Many people travel to and from Heathrow either for work or because they are flying.
- But it is not an easy journey from the Northern reaches of the Metropolitan Line.
- I believe the X26 bus could be a viable way to get to the airport for many.
- There would be a change at Harrow-on-the-Hill, but the station is at least step-free.
- It would avoid parking fees.
- Fares could be less than fuel costs.
The only big drawback, is that the X26 bus is not twenty-four hours.
More And More Frequent Buses Would Help
I believe that the Superloop should be a 24-hour service, as a lot of things go on at airports in the middle of the night.
I’ve just found out that there is an N140 bus that covers the route.
I also think, that as with the Overground, services should be at least four buses per hour.
Riding The X26 Bus Between West Croydon Bus Station And Heathrow Airport
I did this journey, which will be part of the Superloop, in the pouring rain yesterday, and took these were the awful pictures.
Note.
- The rain didn’t help, but the journey was so slow and it is timetabled for an hour and forty minutes.
- There was a lot of traffic and this meant we were a few minutes late.
- I was sitting up front, with another pensioner, who was going to have lunch with mates in Kingston.
It may be an express bus, but I can’t see the speed of this section attracting a lot of passengers.
When I took my ride across Birmingham in a hydrogen bus, which I wrote about in Riding Birmingham’s New Hydrogen-Powered Buses, where I said this about the Wrightbuses.
I very much feel that the buses are the best hydrogen-powered vehicles, that I’ve travelled in, as they are smooth, comfortable, quiet and seem to have excellent performance.
There were some sections of dual-carriageway in Birmingham, where the buses were able to use their excellent acceleration to get through the traffic and make up many seconds.
It should also be noted, that Dublin uses the same hydrogen buses for a long-distance commuter bus.
West Croydon Bus Station – 28th March 2023
This morning I went to West Croydon Bus Station, to catch the X26 bus between West Croydon station and Heathrow Airport.
This was to investigate TfL’s Superloop.
I took these pictures of the bus station.
It was nice to see a well-designed bus station, that had been built to a high standard.
New Fast Bus Service To Link London’s Outer Boroughs
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A new fast service bus network has been announced for London’s outer boroughs.
These three paragraphs outline the concept.
Six new routes will be created and four incorporated into the ‘Superloop’ network, complete with distinct branding.
The plans propose a fast service to make more stops linking many of the peripheral boroughs.
The network is part of London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s effort to compensate for the impact of the ultra-low emission zone expansion, due to start in August.
This draft map from TfL illustrates the concept.
In the draft map, the following can be discerned.
- Arnos Grove station is in the North.
- West Croydon station is in the South.
- Royal Docks and Bexleyheath are in the East.
- Uxbridge and Hayes & Harlington stations are in the West.
- Elizabeth Line stations on the route include Ilford, Custom House, Heathrow Airport and Hayes & Harlington.
The plan may work well, as in the 1950s and 1960s, I used the 107 bus route very regularly, as it cut a circular path between Queensbury in the West and Enfield in the East.
I have some thoughts.
Royal Docks And Bexleyheath
This Google Map shows the Royal Docks.
Note.
- The dotted red line indicates the Royal Docks.
- The runway of the London City Airport can be seen.
- Custom House station on the Elizabeth Line is served by the Elizabeth Line and the Docklands Light Railway.
This second Google Map shows the Western end of the Royal Victoria Dock.
Note.
- Custom House station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The Excel is on the East end of the map.
- London City Hall is at the Western end of the Royal Victoria Dock.
- The cable-car to Greenwich connects to the area.
I would suspect that the bus from Walthamstow will terminate close to City Hall and the cable-car.
This Google Map shows the Royal Docks and Bexleyheath.
Note.
- The dotted red line indicates the Royal Docks.
- Bexleyheath station is in the South-East corner of the map.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Mayor organise a bus, through his new pet project; the Silvertown Tunnel.
Electric Or Hydrogen
Ideally, the buses will need to be zero-carbon; which means battery-electric or some form of hydrogen power.
Birmingham has a similar series of express routes, that run across the city, which I wrote about in Riding Birmingham’s New Hydrogen-Powered Buses.
I feel that long routes like some of these are should be run with hydrogen-powered buses, because of there longer range.
The Anonymous Widower 