The official launch date for a brand new Superloop bus route in Havering has been confirmed.
The SL12 Superloop bus will connect Gants Hill and Rainham through Romford, with stops at several locations across the borough.
Transport for London (TfL) confirmed that plans were "still on track" to launch the express service this year when asked by the Recorder at the end of July.
Yesterday (August 20), a TfL spokesperson confirmed that the bus route will launch officially on Saturday, September 5.
The SL12 was first proposed during spring last year, when TfL announced plans to expand its Superloop network with additional express bus routes.
Following a public consultation, the transport body confirmed in September that the SL12 had been approved and would serve Havering from 2026.
Its stops will include Romford, Queen’s Hospital, Elm Park and Rainham.
The route will also serve Gants Hill, Horns Road, Newbury Park, King George Hospital, South End Road and the Ferry Lane Industrial Estate.
In Rainham, TfL changed the plans so the route will serve the Tesco bus stop in both directions.
Rainham Tesco stop F will be served at all times, providing a link for nearby residents and shoppers.
At Romford station, the service will stop at bus stops Y and Z, rather than the originally proposed stops V and T.
TfL said the changes made in the consultation would improve connections and give passengers more options for onward travel.
Buses will run every 12 minutes between Monday and Saturday during the day. Services will run every 15 minutes on Sundays, during evenings and in the early mornings.
A total of 805 people responded to TfL’s consultation and of those who answered the relevant question, 79 per cent said the express route would be more convenient.
The route towards Rainham will run from Gants Hill through Parham Drive, Horns Road, Newbury Park, Eastern Avenue, Romford, Queen’s Hospital Romford, Elm Park, Mungo Park Road, South End Road, Cherry Tree Lane, Rainham and the Ferry Lane Industrial Estate.
In the opposite direction, buses will travel from the Ferry Lane Industrial Estate through Rainham, Cherry Tree Lane, South End Road, Mungo Park Road, Elm Park, Queen’s Hospital Romford, Romford, Eastern Avenue West, Eastern Avenue, Newbury Park, Ley Street and Gants Hill.
TfL plans to use double-decker buses on the route. They will have Superloop accessibility features, USB charging points and travel information on board.
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