A Superloop bus route across the River Thames in East London is set to launch within three months. To coincide with the opening of Silvertown Tunnel on Monday, April 7, Londoners will have access to the new SL4 route, which is free for the first year.
The river crossing between Silvertown and Greenwich is designed to ease pressure on the nearby Blackwall Tunnel and reduce congestion across East and South East London. The new tunnel will also transform bus connections, with the number of buses able to cross the Thames each hour rising from six to 21.
The SL4 will run between Canary Wharf and Grove Park. It is the last of 10 Superloops to launch after the first (SL8 from Uxbridge to the City) opened in July 2023.
Two other London bus routes crossing the Thames will also be free to Londoners for a year. The 129 from Lewisham to Greenwich will now end in Newham using the Silvertown Tunnel, while the 108 from Lewisham to Stratford will continue to operate every 10 minutes using the Blackwall Tunnel.
Silvertown Tunnel – which has been under construction since 2021 – promises to reduce journey times by up to 20 minutes during peak hours.
The new tunnel is set to ease chronic congestion around the Blackwall Tunnel and East London
(Image: TfL)
Cyclists using the 1.4km crossing will benefit from a separate dedicated shuttle service because they can’t cross the bridge due to safety reasons. They will have a bespoke design to distinguish them from the regular bus network. The service will operate every 12 minutes, seven days a week from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.
It will have two stops, one on each side of the river, with the ‘north’ stop located on Seagull Lane close to Royal Victoria DLR station, and the ‘south’ stop located on Millennium Way near the junction with Old School Close.
Drivers using both Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels will face charges between 6pm and 10pm daily. An off-peak rate of £1.50 will apply for vehicles registered with TfL Auto Pay, with higher rates during peak hours.
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