TfL will bring the new SL12 Superloop bus route into operation on Saturday 5 September. To celebrate its launch, services will be free for pay as you go users for the first week, that is from 05:30 on 5 September 2026 until 23:59 on 11 September 2026.
The new SL12 between Gants Hill, Romford, Elm Park and Rainham will connect communities to the capital’s transformative network of express bus services. The SL12 builds on the success of the game-changing Superloop network, which has had more than 81 million trips made on Superloop routes since its introduction.
For the first time there will be
- A link for employers and employees travelling to the Ferry Lane Industrial Estate
- Quicker access to Romford for shops, jobs, leisure and the Elizabeth line.
- Convenient links to the District line at Elm Park and Central line at Newbury Park
- Access to the Central line and connections at Gants Hill
- King George Hospital and Queen’s Hospital will now also have direct connections.
The SL12 bus will operate between around 05:30 and 00:30 on all days of the week, every 12 minutes during the day on Mondays to Saturdays and every 15 minutes every evening and all day on Sundays. Furthermore, in order to accommodate the new route and to enable easier interchanges, there will be a small number of changes to where routes 86, 498 and Night Bus N86 stop in Romford town centre.
There will also be an increase to the frequency of Superloop route SL9 (Heathrow to Harrow) at all times. New electric buses have been introduced on route SL2 (Walthamstow to North Woolwich), are being rolled out on route SL7 (Heathrow to West Croydon) and are planned for later this year on route SL11 (Abbey Wood to North Greenwich). Further new Superloop routes are planned with routes SL14 (Stratford to Chingford Hatch) and route SL15 (Clapham Junction to Eltham) planned to start operating during 2027. Consultation feedback for route SL13 (Ealing Broadway to Hendon) is currently being considered, with the outcome being published in due course.
Margaret Mullane MP said: “This is good news for constituents across the Havering part of my constituency. Finally providing a much-needed link for people to get to work at Ferry Lane, improving access to both King George’s Hospital and Queen’s for residents across the piece, and filling the transport gap whilst we wait for Beam Park station to be delivered. It’s also great to see that the new route will be free for the first week. Delivering infrastructure alongside new homes is key to ensuring new and existing communities can thrive. I look forward to trying the SL12 myself in the coming weeks!”
The SL12 will deliver a much-needed change to the community, opening new roads and access to innovation and peace of mind.