Free London buses announced for first year of Silvertown Tunnel opening
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The number of buses able to cross the Thames per hour to more than triple. After a decade of plans, London’s newest Thames crossing is due to open in April – and with it comes new bus routes free for passengers for a year. The 1.4km Silvertown Tunnel, which will connect east London to the Greenwich Peninsula, has been in the works since 2012 and is expected to open on 7 April 2025, Transport for London (TfL) has revealed.
Once the tunnel is open, the number of buses able to cross the river will increase from six to 21 an hour, creating more reliable transport links over the river. As part of the launch of the tunnel, TfL says that new bus routes serving Greenwich, Newham, and Tower Hamlets will be free for at least the first year.
These routes are the new express bus service Superloop SL4 and extended route 129 , which will go through the Silvertown Tunnel, and the existing route 108 through Blackwall Tunnel. The free fares are only eligible for pay-as-you-go users, and passengers must ensure that their payment method is valid for travel or that they have pay-as-you-go credit on their Oyster card.
Buses are not the only mode of transport getting free fares, as for at least 12 months after Silvertown Tunnel opens, pay-as-you-go customers will have their fares refunded between and including two DLR station pairs: Cutty Sark to/from Island Gardens and Woolwich Arsenal to/from King George V.
