Bus route 472 has just a couple of days left to run – but its Superloop replacement will be free for the first week, Transport for London has confirmed.

The limited-stop SL11, which will begin on Saturday, will run along the same route as the 472 from Abbey Wood and North Greenwich every six minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes, but will skip many stops, including some in Thamesmead and all stops between Woolwich Elizabeth Line station and Charlton station.

The 472’s night service will remain in place after Saturday and be renumbered N472, serving all stops as before.

Journeys on the SL11 will be free with a valid Oyster or contactless card from 6am on Saturday until 11.59pm on Friday January 30.

472 bus at North Greenwich
Last stop: The daytime 472 will no longer run after Friday. Image: The Greenwich Wire

The new SL11, like the planned DLR extension to Thamesmead, has been designed to tie in with planned new developments in the area, such as the 15,000-home Thamesmead Waterfront development.

However, that has led to concerns about the sheer number of existing residents who will now have to change buses to complete their journeys. Stops skipped along the way include Charlton Sainsbury’s, the Greenwich Trust School in Charlton, the Woolwich Ferry and Woolwich Arsenal station. 

There will not be a stop inside Thamesmead town centre while new housing developments at Trinity Park in Woolwich, Lombard Square in west Thamesmead and Cygnet Square in south Thamesmead will also be missed. 

SL11 route diagram compared with the 472
The stops that will be served by the SL11. Image: Transport for London

Greenwich Council supported the change in a consultation last year, although Charlton Village councillor Jo van den Broek was a lone town hall voice calling for  “at least one pair of bus stops” between Charlton and Woolwich.

Neighbouring Bexley Council called for the 472 to remain in place.

Limited-stop Superloop buses have become a flagship policy of London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, with a further service between Eltham and Clapham Junction due to start next year.

But while all the other Superloop services have either been rebrandings of existing fast services or additions to the network – the SL11 will be the first route to involve an existing service being withdrawn.

Bus stop and tower block
Off the bus: The SL11 will skip stops such as as the Trinity Park development in Woolwich. Image: The Greenwich Wire

London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said: “”Replacing the 472 with this faster, more direct service will help to support early regeneration plans in Thamesmead and boost transport links in a historically under-served part of London.

“As mayor, I’ll continue to explore how we can keep improving London’s bus network and build a better, fairer London for everyone.”

Lorna Murphy, TfL’s director of buses, said: ““We’re thrilled to see another Superloop express service on the roads serving Londoners in this area. 

The SL11 will boost travel and journey times and crucially will mean faster connections between the Elizabeth line, DLR, London Underground and National Rail. All bus rides on the SL11 will be free for customers for the first week, so we encourage everyone to take advantage of this offer. As always, we’ll continue to monitor travel patterns to ensure the network meets local demand.”

BBC London report used by arrangement with BBC Local News Partnerships.

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