Consultation launched on first new route between Harrow and North Finchley
"The Superloop is part of my plans to improve public transport in outer London. These new routes will substantially improve access to transport services, town centres and hospitals in outer London, and help build a better, greener London for everyone"
Sadiq Khan
The Mayor of London
  • New maps show TfL's plans for the Superloop in more detail, highlighting the proposed stops and how each route connects with existing transport services 
  • The Superloop is a key part of the Mayor's commitment to improve the bus network in outer London, adding over 4 million extra kilometres of bus services and complementing earlier plans to add over 1 million kilometres to the network 
  • Today, the first consultation is being launched around the new X183 service between Harrow and North Finchley 

Transport for London (TfL) has today (Friday 28 April) revealed new maps with more detail on the future routes on the Superloop network, showing its proposed stops and how it connects to transport links, town centres and hospitals.

Localised route maps have been created to show how the proposed new routes connect to other transport services including the Tube, Overground, DLR and National Rail services. The proposed new routes will be subject to further detailed planning, stakeholder engagement and public consultation.

The Superloop is a network of limited-stop express bus routes that circle the entire capital. These new maps reveal further detail into the potential routes of future bus routes, including: 

  • X183 (Harrow to Finchley) 
  • X34 (Finchley to Walthamstow) 
  • X119 (Croydon to Bromley) 
  • X269 (Bexleyheath to Bromley) 
  • X123 (Walthamstow to Royal Docks) 

TfL is today launching the first Superloop consultation for the X183 bus, a new limited express stop bus service between Harrow and North Finchley, and is asking Londoners to have their say on the proposals. The new X183 service would be a significant addition to the bus network in northwest London, providing additional bus capacity in busy locations and encouraging more sustainable journeys. The proposed route would also allow for quicker journeys and more transport options to move between transport and town centre locations in Harrow, Brent and Barnet.

Supported by £6m of additional funding provided by the Mayor of London, the Superloop is a key part of his commitment to improving the bus network in outer London and could add over four million additional kilometres to London's bus network. This is in order to strengthen and improve public transport options in line with the London-wide ULEZ expansion. Last month, TfL set out separate proposals for a more than 400,000km increase in bus services Barnet, Brent, Havering and Wandsworth, part of the Mayor's commitment to improving the bus network in outer London with more than one million extra kilometres of bus services. 

Proposals for the route mean that the X183 would run alongside part of the existing route 183 between Harrow and Hendon, and part of route 125 between Hendon and North Finchley. The X183 would run every 12 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 15 minutes during evenings and Sundays. The proposed route would allow customers using the new X183 service to connect to 38 other bus routes in the area, as well as seven rail lines. Data from an existing limited stop express service, the X140, shows that over 40 per cent of users of the route have interchanged from another bus, showing the benefits of the Hopper Fare and the desire to travel by limited-stop express services. The consultation is now open at haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/x183-superloop until 12 June. 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:

'The Superloop is part of my plans to improve public transport in outer London. These new routes will substantially improve access to transport services, town centres and hospitals in outer London, and help build a better, greener London for everyone.

'I'm so excited to be kicking off the Superloop journey with our new detailed maps. Londoners can see for themselves where the buses will be stopping and how the Superloop could benefit them.

'I'm also pleased to be launching the first Superloop consultation today with the new X183 route from Harrow to North Finchley. I encourage everyone in the local area to get involved and have their say.'

Geoff Hobbs, TfL's Director of Public Transport Service Planning, said:

'Public transport provides a vital service for everyone living in, working in and visiting the capital and buses play a fundamental role in that. Our proposals for an upgraded link between Harrow and North Finchley to better connect town centres and rail stations in northwest London. The new X183 route would provide a higher frequency of service for everyone travelling in the area, forming a key part of our game-changing Superloop proposals to make it even easier to travel in outer London. 

'I would encourage as many people as possible to respond to the consultation to help shape our plans and design a service which benefits everyone travelling in the area.'

Norman Baker of Campaign for Better Transport said:

'The Superloop is an exciting development for Outer London. It will bring faster, more frequent journeys to the places people most need to go, real integration with stations and other transport, cleaner air and a greener future for all. We encourage people to read and respond to the X183 consultation to ensure their views are heard.'

Buses are the most affordable, accessible, and available form of public transport in London and offer the main sustainable alternative to cars for journeys that can't easily be walked or cycled. 

The Superloop, which will be complemented by further enhancements across London, will improve TfL's already extensive and attractive bus network in outer London. While some of it is already providing quick links across outer London, like the X140 connecting Heathrow and Harrow, and route X26 connecting Heathrow and West Croydon, further Superloop routes are proposed to be introduced in stages. These routes will all carry the new Superloop branding, as will routes 607 and X68 which already operate limited stop services in west and south London.    

TfL continues to deliver its Bus Action Plan, which aims to increase the number of customers choosing to travel by bus across London by making bus travel better. Those using buses across London will see faster journeys, with an additional 25km of new bus lanes by 2025 and bus journey times improved by 10 per cent by 2030. TfL's fleet of zero-emission buses continues to grow  with plans for the whole fleet to be converted by 2030, subject to Government funding.  

 A separate consultation is also now open for a proposed change to bus route 223. The proposals would see the route extended to the new Eastman Village Kodak housing development on Harrow View, the former Kodak factory in Harrow in Harrow. The separate consultation for bus route 223 is available at haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/route-223-extension?cid=223-extension 

Notes to editors: