If you’ve been out around Greater London, you might have caught a flash of colour out of the corner of your eye…green and blue, yellow and red… There’s something circling London, and it just connected in 2024. It’s called the Superloop.
Earlier this month, the Superloop opened its SL5 route from Bromley North to Croydon. There will be ten routes in total on the Superloop, and all together, they’ll create a big circle all around Greater London...and a few squiggles through it.
All roads lead to Charing Cross
Most of the time, if you’re journeying from one part of Greater London to another, you’ll take a detour towards the City. It’s just how big city transport works, funnelling people nearer the centre to usher us into our business and entertainment hubs, then back out home in the suburbs. But Greater London has so much more to offer. One-of-a-kind communities with so much to see and do, and excellent career opportunities without the commuter scrum.
TFL launched the first four routes back in July 2023. They’ve proved popular, as TFL data showed “data so far shows demand on all Superloop routes has increased above the network average level.” (TFL).
So, towards the end of 2023, TFL launched two more. 3 February saw the launch of Bromley to Croydon. (March update) The loop around London is now complete with additional routes connecting Walthamstow to North Woolwich (2 March) and Thamesmead to Bromley (24 February).
There are two lines cutting into the circle – Uxbridge to White City and Croydon up to Russell Square. When the Silvertown Tunnel is completed, channelling bus and lorry traffic between Greenwich to Silvertown, we’ll get another line.
Why it matters
"Making it so much easier for professionals to commute cheaply without a car."
The Superloop brings some of the less connected areas of Greater London into the fold, making it so much easier for professionals to commute cheaply without a car. It's a big deal for those whose property search is affected by the expanding ULEZ zone. It also helps house hunters realise Greater London's massive potential a little bit better. With this service, you can get from Croydon to Heathrow, from Harrow to North Finchley, from White City to Uxbridge, for just £1.75.
The other super benefit is that Superloop doesn’t hang about. This is an express service with limited stops. They’ve also upped the frequency of these services; like the X26 which originally ran twice an hour and now as SL7, it runs every 15 minutes.
What this means for property
The Superloop is working to put somewhat overlooked areas on the map for London’s commuters. As we discussed in our London Report – Autumn Statement, once we introduce buyers and renters to a new area, they are more than willing to explore if there’s the transportation infrastructure to make it worth their while. This means two things:
1. If you want to explore a new area with a good route to work, we want to introduce you to the wild heart of Walthamstow and the dreamy Teddington high street. Make an account on My Foxtons and we’ll show you property to buy and rent around the Superloop.
2. If you want to expand your portfolio in an area on the rise, the Superloop is just one more good reason to take a second look at areas like Hendon, Woolwich and Walthamstow. Foxtons can help, register your search for a new buy-to-let asset, or find your next investment.
Read more details on the Superloop from TFL TFL here.
