New ‘Bakerloop’ bus route in southeast London is one step closer to becoming a reality, set to cut travel time between commuter hotspots. Londoners could soon have ten new express bus routes designed to run faster than regular TfL buses as part of the expansion of the existing Superloop network known as Superloop 2. The Superloop routes link areas in outer London boroughs, with the first routes in operation since the summer of 2023.

Nine original Superloop routes have already been running across London boroughs. The final SL4 route between Canary Wharf and Grove Park via the upcoming Silvertown Tunnel is set to launch on April 7. One of the proposed additions to the network is the ‘Bakerloop’ bus service between Waterloo and Lewisham. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan launched a six-week public consultation on the Bakerloop route details today.

Speaking on board a Superloop bus, he told Metro the ‘Bakerloop’ route will be ‘quicker than going in your car.’. When asked why he has been pushing to grow the express bus network, he said ‘it can lead to jobs, new housing and it can lead to regeneration.’. ‘And this part of southeast London is poorly served by Tubes,’ he added. He said he hopes the ‘Bakerloop’ bus will prove to the government and developers ‘that there is demand for good public transport’ in southeast London.

To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro's London news hub. The ‘Bakerloop’ bus follows roughly the route of the possible Bakerloo Tube line extension which is currently at an early design stage while waiting for funding confirmation from the government. Using the ‘Bakerloop’ is expected to cost the same as using a regular bus, £1.75. But ‘Bakerloop’ buses only have five stops along the route to reduce journey times – Waterloo, Elephant & Castle, Old Kent Road, New Cross Gate and Lewisham.

The exact bus stop locations have not yet been confirmed. TfL has now asked Londoners’ thoughts on the proposed bus stops along the route. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan launched the consultation today open until March 14. The Bakerloop route is expected to be up and running in ‘autumn 2025’ although it will depend on the outcome of the consultation, TfL said. Residents in New Cross told Metro previously that new travel links like the Bakerloo Tube line extension are welcome in the area.

One business owner said that when the Overground has issues in the New Cross area, buses are the only option, but they tend to be full and you ‘need to wait for another bus and the comfort of the journeys decreases.’. When asked how the Bakerloop will be different for passengers in the southeast, the Mayor said ‘people you spoke to have had the same experience that many of us had before the Superloop.’.

He continued: ‘There is often congestion, buses stop at every single bus stop. They let people on and off and leave slowly, then stop again. Sometimes there are roadworks taking place which slows things down.’. However, the existing Superloop routes have shown that it will be ‘much faster’ because they don’t stop at every stop and ‘more and more roads now have bus lanes.’. The Mayor said he has addressed the issue of ‘too many roadworks’ by telling utility companies that ‘if you want to dig up the road it’s going to cost you a fortune, so I advise you do it very infrequently and coordinate with us if you are going to do it.’.

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