TfL Superloop: Sadiq Khan launches North Finchley to Walthamstow bus consultation

Transport for London (TfL) has launched a public consultation on the second section of the proposed Superloop bus service.

The section will see a new express route, the X34, linking North Finchley and Walthamstow via the North Circular Road, with a limited number of stops to provide a faster bus service around north London.

Proposals for the new route mean that it would run alongside part of the existing route 221 between North Finchley and New Southgate, and part of route 34 between Arnos Grove and Walthamstow.

It would run every 12 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 15 minutes during evenings and Sundays.

This is the second consultation that has opened since the Superloop was announced in March.

Last month, TfL set up a public consultation on the first new Superloop route, the X183 running between Harrow and North Finchley, which is open for comments until Monday June 12.

The Superloop is part of a £6m investment by mayor of London Sadiq Khan to compensate for the impact of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion, due to start on August 29.

The service will not stretch to some council areas - including Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Merton - with the mayor being accused of “once again” forgetting about certain boroughs

Havering Council has urged the mayor to “stretch the Superloop”, highlighting concerns about the lack of public transport alternatives to the car in outer boroughs.

The Superloop, which is a mostly orbital network, serving outer London, with some services running into central London, is due to be completed by 2025.

Other parts of the loop will include services between Walthamstow to the Royal Docks via Ilford (X123), Bexleyheath to Bromley (X269) and Croydon to Bromley (X119).

“The Superloop will be a real gamechanger when it comes to public transport in outer London,” said the mayor. “These new routes will be instrumental in providing Londoners with more public transport options and alternatives to private car use. I’m excited about the benefits they will bring through providing quick links to transport hubs, town centres and hospitals, and helping us to build a better, greener London for everyone.

"I want to encourage Londoners to have their say on the new routes and share their views on how the Superloop could best serve them.”

Geoff Hobbs, TfL’s director of public transport planning, said: "Buses sit at the heart of the capital’s transport network and provide a vital lifeline for everyone living in, working in and visiting the capital.

"The Superloop will have an important role to play as we strive for a greener, cleaner and more sustainable London. Feedback from the public is hugely valuable and I’d encourage everyone to respond to the consultation. This will enable us to shape our future plans and help create a bus service which benefits everyone travelling throughout the area."

The consultation on the North Finchley to Walthamstow section will be open on TfL’s website until July 21.