London Buses Discussion

[Snow1964]

I have been forwarded an email with various tendering updates, including Superloop routes out to tender.

The current contracts for routes 28/N28, 328 and 481 will now terminate early, therefore they have been added to the 2024/25 Tendering Programme.

► New routes SL2, SL3 and SL5 have been added to the 2023/24 Tendering Programme.

► New route SL1 has been added to the 2024/25 Tendering Programme, which also includes route SL6, (currently Route X68).

► New route 618 has been added to the 2024/25 Tendering Programme.

Please also note that Tranches 892 and 898 have been split as detailed in the table below.

871A - SL2
871B - SL3
871C - SL5
877A - 481
883A - 28/N28 & 328
890A - 618
898A - 34/N34 & SL1
898B - 192
912 - 68/N68, 468 & SL6

TfL normally put these on their website (but are clearly behind, as they're still showing April update), but I am linking on the presumption that TfL will add it to this page. Hopefully it will be there soon.

Bus tender search - Transport for London

All results of the tendering process are published in this section.

tfl.gov.uk

I think the routes being tendered early, are because the Operators have triggered break clause, presumably because they no longer want them at current price as they're losing money. Sorry that I have no info on route 618 (there is a Surrey school route via Tadworth and Epsom with that number), but it might be new TfL school route.

 

[Dstock7080]

Regarding the Superloop buses, is the branding just being applied to the outside or are TfL adding route maps etc to the inside cove panels?

The SL8 buses have full internal route diagrams showing stops served

 

[adrianjohnson]

The SL8 buses have full internal route diagrams showing stops served

Thanks. It looks like every stop is listed too, which is helpful.

 

[Snow1964]

TfL have updated their bus homepage with a picture of a Superloop SL8 bus

Buses

All London Bus routes, maps, timetables and fares

tfl.gov.uk

Strangely have made it look like it is smokey and polluting. Then made it look like it has no roof as can see trees through the upstairs windows.

Even more mysterious is why have all the windows open, unless trying to demonstrate no air conditioning because not trying to attract anyone out of their air conditioned cars.

Very weird choice of illustration in my view

 

[busesrusuk]

The SL8 buses have full internal route diagrams showing stops served

Day one of the route and no real issues with people getting the hang of the new route. There were bods at Shepherds Bush at the stop outside the station advising people of the change and handing out leaflets of the full proposals for the Superloop brand. A few more were seen along the route and at least one stop has been fully decorated at Ealing Common. There are at least 14 buses now branded so a good first impression.

Inside the bus, the scrolling text on the ibus screens state that the 607 is now the SL8 along with the internal route maps. Although he buses advertise USB charging, there were no signs of that on the buses that I travelled on today but its good to know that they presumably will be retrofitted in due course.

Overall the buses make an impact in amongst the sea of red and appears to have not caused any problems to the travelling public. Here are a few pics of the buses along with a pic of the stop at Ealing Common mentioned above:

Metroline VMH2567 Jul23

Ealing Common, Jul 2023

www.flickr.com

Metroline VMH2586 Jul23v2

Shepherds Bush, Jul 2023

www.flickr.com

Metroline VMH2562 Jul23v2

Shepherds Bush, Jul 2023

www.flickr.com

superloop Ealing Common Jul23v2

Superloop decorated bus stop at Ealing Common, Jul 2023

www.flickr.com

 

[Dstock7080]

I'm afraid that's not a real poster, given the erroneous meaning of "first bus" and the lack of official TfL publication.

Why on earth someone would want to produce a fake poster like that beats me.

same “fake poster” now displayed on relevant stops

 

[Busaholic]

The S7 operating in the area where the 57 operates might cause some confusion at bus stops around Kingston.

 

[Goldfish62]

same “fake poster” now displayed on relevant stops

Hilarious...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jul 2023 ==

The S7 operating in the area where the 57 operates might cause some confusion at bus stops around Kingston.

It'll be SL7, not S7.

 

[Busaholic]

Hilarious...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jul 2023 ==


It'll be SL7, not S7.

Oops. my mistake.

 

[Statto]

Day one of the route and no real issues with people getting the hang of the new route. There were bods at Shepherds Bush at the stop outside the station advising people of the change and handing out leaflets of the full proposals for the Superloop brand. A few more were seen along the route and at least one stop has been fully decorated at Ealing Common. There are at least 14 buses now branded so a good first impression.

Inside the bus, the scrolling text on the ibus screens state that the 607 is now the SL8 along with the internal route maps. Although he buses advertise USB charging, there were no signs of that on the buses that I travelled on today but its good to know that they presumably will be retrofitted in due course.

Overall the buses make an impact in amongst the sea of red and appears to have not caused any problems to the travelling public. Here are a few pics of the buses along with a pic of the stop at Ealing Common mentioned above:

Metroline VMH2567 Jul23

Ealing Common, Jul 2023

www.flickr.com

Metroline VMH2586 Jul23v2

Shepherds Bush, Jul 2023

www.flickr.com

Metroline VMH2562 Jul23v2

Shepherds Bush, Jul 2023

www.flickr.com

superloop Ealing Common Jul23v2

Superloop decorated bus stop at Ealing Common, Jul 2023

www.flickr.com

Looks similar to the original 607 branding when deckers were launched on the 607 in the mid 90s, although the white branding was between the decks.

 

[Thirteen]

I think once the Superloop buses are in service, someone is going to try and do all the Superloop buses in one day.

 

[Statto]

I think once the Superloop buses are in service, someone is going to try and do all the Superloop buses in one day.

Hmmm i feel a challenge coming on when i visit London & all the Superloop routes are operating, the only tricky one will be SL6, the replacement for X68, & shame SL4 isn't connecting with any other Superloop route either.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I think we should make this a forum meat. Have they indicated whether the SL6 is only going to run to the approximate current x68 timetable or if they will increase it's frequency and therefore it's usefulness? Wouldn't be surprised if the SL4 ultimately has some kind of alteration and extension so it does connect with other parts of the network as I rather thought this was the point if the exercise

 

[PGAT]

AFAIK there will be no changes to the X68

 

[Statto]

AFAIK there will be no changes to the X68

Yep, the current X68 timetable will still be applied to the SL6, which is going to make it tricky to do all Superloop routes in a day, might be able to do it by using some of the 24 hour Superloop routes, need to do an early start.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Once they have all launched I think we should seriously try and have a go at this, it could be so much fun

 

[Busaholic]

Yep, the current X68 timetable will still be applied to the SL6, which is going to make it tricky to do all Superloop routes in a day, might be able to do it by using some of the 24 hour Superloop routes, need to do an early start.

Which Superloop routes will be 24 hour?

The limited operating hours of the SL5 and the need to either get to or from Russell Square would make the challenge nigh impossible I'd have thought, but I 'd love to be proved wrong. You also have to cover the 'missing gap' in the loop somehow, presumably by non-bus means.

 

[London Trains]

Ignoring the X239/SL4 which is going to start at least a year later than all of the other routes, I think this is the best route I can work out using current info available:

Start at West Croydon 5:50am, X68/SL6 to Russell Square, walk to Tottenham Court Road, Elizabeth Line to Abbey Wood, any bus to Thamesmead, SL3 to Bromley, SL5 to West Croydon, X26/SL7 to Heathrow Central, X140/SL9 to Harrow, SL10 to North Finchley, SL1 to Walthamstow, SL2 to North Woolwich, 474 to Custom House, Elizabeth Line to Bond Street, Central Line to Shepherd's Bush, 607/SL8 to Uxbridge, finish in Uxbridge.

Obviously there are no timetables for most of the routes yet so I can't work out if this is feasible in one day. The 5:50 start time is assuming the X68/SL6 timetable is the same as now when all of the routes are running.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Thanks for doing the planning for us slightly mad enthusiasts who might actually try it once routes are up and running.


Changing the subject, which services if any currently run through the black wall tunnel?

 

[GusB]

This isn't really the appropriate thread in which to organise a forum meet as it's distracting from the main topic. Please put forward any suggestions you may have in this thread:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/forum-meet-suggestions.134118/

 

[Edsmith]

Thanks for doing the planning for us slightly mad enthusiasts who might actually try it once routes are up and running.


Changing the subject, which services if any currently run through the black wall tunnel?

The 108

 

[Blindtraveler]

Thanks for that, I had a feeling that something did but couldn't remember for certain and new ride get a much quicker answer on here than sitting trying to look it up

 

[Busaholic]

Thanks for that, I had a feeling that something did but couldn't remember for certain and new ride get a much quicker answer on here than sitting trying to look it up

That 'something' has run through the Blackwall Tunnel since the creation of the London Passenger Transport Board and even had a bus garage especially created for it in Poplar at Athol Street, which was a stone's throw from the tram depot in Aberfeldy Street which later became a trolleybus one and then a bus garage with the first all Routemaster fleet in 1959. I used the 108A bus route to access Poplar from my home in Eltham, and well remember the single, two lane tunnel and the specially modified tyres on the RTL buses that worked the 108 and 108A, the most disrupted routes on the London bus network. A gap of two hours between 108As making it through to Eltham, Southend Crescent, even in rush hours, was by no means rare.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Thanks. Nice little history lesson there. What's the vehicle allocation now?

 

[busesrusuk]

Thanks. Nice little history lesson there. What's the vehicle allocation now?

The 108 is currently run by Go Ahead London from New Cross and will gain the displaced Red Arrow BYD electrics in due course..

 

[Busoccultation]

The 108 is currently run by Go Ahead London from New Cross and will gain the displaced Red Arrow BYD electrics in due course..

108 is actually run by Morden Wharf garage in Greenwich with the exception of two weekday trips that is run by New Cross using ex 507/521 SEe16/17 in the meantime and those trips were used to be done by 2015 Irizar electrics EI1/EI2 until they got withdrawn.

 

[busesrusuk]

108 is actually run by Morden Wharf garage in Greenwich with the exception of two weekday trips that is run by New Cross using ex 507/521 SEe16/17 in the meantime and those trips were used to be done by 2015 Irizar electrics EI1/EI2 until they got withdrawn.

You are right - I stand corrected (cant believe I got that wrong having worked for the business for 32 years!).

 

[PGAT]

Apparently the X26 is being renumbered on 19 August

 

[busesrusuk]

Apparently the X26 is being renumbered on 19 August

Do you have a source? the only confirmed number change so far is the X68 being renumbered to SL6 from the 29 July (no changes to the service and noted on the TfL website) whilst the X26 (soon to be SL7) has its frequency increased to every 15mins from the 19 Aug but no mention of a number change.

It makes sense to make the change to the number at the same time as the frequency increase but I can find no confirmation so any source you could point us to would be appreciated..

 

[Blindtraveler]

Do we know what the vehicle allocation for the sl7x26 is going to be? I know that they have trouble keeping the existing custom adapted b9 in service as it is and I wish they would make the USB points work