Toronto transit planners are watching the launch of London's SL12 Superloop bus route, which will run free for its first week.
Details of the SL12 Superloop route
Transport for London will open the SL12 Superloop bus route on September 5, which will run between Gants Hill and Rainham in east London.
Canadian cities such as Toronto are closely watching the rollout, hoping to apply similar express bus concepts to improve travel times in outer suburbs. U.S. transit agencies also note the model as a way to connect peripheral neighborhoods without expanding rail.
Passengers using the service will not be charged for their journey until September 12, but they will still need to touch in using a valid Oyster card or a contactless card or device.
TfL's Superloop network of express bus routes is designed to provide faster orbital connections between areas outside central London, with the new service marking the network's first expansion into Havering.
The SL12 will cut bus journey times between Gants Hill and Rainham from slightly over an hour to around 40 minutes.
The route will provide connections with the Central, District, Overground, and Elizabeth line, and to both King George's Hospital and Queen's Hospital.
The SL12 will operate between 5.30am and 12.30am daily, with buses every 12 minutes during the day on Mondays to Saturdays, and every 15 minutes every evening and all day on Sundays.
TfL has announced that more Superloop routes will launch next year, between Stratford and Chingford Hatch, and between Clapham Junction and Eltham.
Since its launch in July 2023, the Superloop network has accommodated around 81 million trips.
TfL said that Superloop buses have added 9.6 million bus kilometres per year to the capital's network, and that ridership on these new routes is 12% higher than journeys on standard buses.
Comments from officials
Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: "Our Superloop network has been a gamechanger for bus travel in outer London, offering quicker, more convenient journeys around the capital."
Lorna Murphy, TfL's Director of Buses, added: "The SL12 will boost travel and journey times in northeast and east London, taking people across the area to local shops and amenities and onwards to fast and convenient Elizabeth line and Tube connections at Romford, Newbury Park, Elm Park and Gants Hill. We're also excited to be able to offer customers free journeys on the SL12 for the first week and I'd encourage everyone in the area to try out this new, sustainable, accessible transport link."