Tuesday 20 February 2024

Suggestion: Transport for London Should Revive the Old Speedbus Proposal From the 1970s as Part of Phase 2 of the Superloop

Followers on Twitter/X may have noticed that I have been suggesting that Transport for London (TfL) revive the Speedbus proposal, which first launched in 1973, which is 50 years ago!

This is in response to Andy Lord, the Commissioner of TfL, stating that he has the ambition of launching "phase two of Superloop".

This is also in response to the London Assembly Transport Committee's recommendation to expand the new Superloop services along with more bus priority measures.

Extract of a letter to Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, by Keith Prince AM, Chairman of the Transport Committee - 22 January 2024

The Committee heard that the new Superloop services have been generally welcomed, but that there is a need for more of these types of orbital bus services (to include currently excluded boroughs such as Havering), and also for more bus priority measures.

Recommendation 5: TfL should look to introduce other new orbital bus services to serve areas not covered by the current Superloop service, including extending new Superloop services to boroughs such as Havering.

Recommendation 6: TfL should investigate ways to introduce further bus priority measures (such as dedicated bus lanes or priority lights) for the Superloop to reduce journey times as well as expanding bus priority measures more generally across outer London.

About the Speedbus proposal

The concept of Speedbus was a proposed network of limited stop bus services using reserved lanes and priority measures to reduce journey times. They proposed to use crew-operated double-deck buses with "quiet engine" specifications, their own distinctive livery and bus stop shelters of a higher standard.

They expected the first Speedbus route between Hackney and Marble Arch to launch into passenger service in October 1974, but it did not happen.

Here are some clippings from London Transport News and the Commercial Motor magazine on the Speedbus proposal.

From LT News, No 8 - July 20 1973

From LT News, No 8 - July 20 1973

From Commercial Motor, July 13 1973

LT News, No. 65 - November 28 1975

The proposed Speedbus routes were as follows:

1 Clapton Pond - Marble Arch - Putney Heath
2 Tower of London (Aldgate) - Piccadilly - Heathrow Airport
3 Lower Edmonton - Piccadilly - Roehampton
4 Waltham Cross - London Bridge - Catford
5 Muswell Hill - Piccadilly - Sydenham
6 Hampstead - Oxford Circus - South Croydon
7 Mill Hill Broadway - Oxford Circus - Crystal Palace
8 Paddington - Piccadilly - Thamesmead
9 Becontree Heath - Bank - Lewisham
10 Whipps Cross - Hackney - London Bridge

Unfortunately, in 1977, the Speedbus proposal was dropped when the Conservatives took power of the GLC. It was also due to objections by taxi drivers, haulage, and many others regarding the plans to increase bus priority measures that were needed for the Speedbus network.

Clipping from LT News, No. 102 - June 24 1977

At present, bus lanes and priority measures are quite vital for bus services to improve their punctuality, and I have mentioned how they are beneficial to the emergency services to reduce their response times and save lives. You can view the map of bus lanes in Greater London on TfL's Open Data Hub.

Bus lane coverage in Greater London

Further suggestions on how to improve public transport services in London

Back in 2022, in a response to TfL's bus action plan, I suggested that TfL should revive the Transit Schemes proposal from the 2000s, which included the Cross River Tram/Transit, Greenwich Waterfront Transit, Thames Gateway Transit (as part of the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge), and West London Tram/Transit. They were part of the Mayor of London's 2001 Transport Strategy. You can read more about my suggestion, including the Sutton Link, in my previous article.
2004 TfL's Business Plan summary

About the use of trams on the Thames Gateway Bridge (which never got built), in July 2004, Ken Livingstone (the Mayor of London back then) stated in his Mayor Question Time:
"The proposed Thames Gateway Bridge (TGB) provides an opportunity to integrate the Greenwich Waterfront Transit (GWT) and East London Transit (ELT) busway schemes. Linking and integrating both projects would facilitate north-south movements between Thamesmead, Woolwich and Barking as well as other centres such as Stratford to the north by public transport. The current projected public transport demand across the TGB and along ELT and GWT routes is significantly less than the level where trams become economically viable. However the bridge layout has been designed to retain flexibility to upgrade to a tram or DLR in the future. Appropriate sections of GWT and ELT are also being developed in a way that would allow such upgrades, should demand justify it."

Unfortunately, the transit schemes proposal was dropped in 2008, as part of TfL's Business Plan 2009/10- 2017/18.

Currently, Route SL8 (formerly 607) is an express service between Uxbridge and White City that runs parallel to the proposed West London Transit scheme.

Suggestion of bus type for the Transit Schemes, Superloop and Speedbus

Depending on the infrastructure and road space, such as bus priority measures, I would suggest using tram-style bendy (articulated) buses to improve accessibility, capacity, and the tram-style design to provide a stronger image. Here are some examples in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Brisbane, Australia.

I'm also aware of a similar concept, which is the Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART). The World Economic Forum has suggested how trackless trams could help revitalise city suburbs. The non-articulated tram-style buses for the Fastrack network in the Dartford, Ebbsfleet and Gravesham areas are expected to launch in November 2024.

Back in August 2017, the London Assembly Transport Committee recommended reinstating bendy buses for use on newly designed routes and offering passenger benefits, including more space, faster journeys, and enhanced accessibility for disabled passengers.

Although I mentioned in my previous article that the consultation reports from Superloop routes SL1, SL2, SL3, SL4, SL5 and SL10 have revealed hundreds of comments requesting to use New Routemaster buses to improve the design and accessibility of buses, I did suggest creating the most accessible zero-emission bus with two wheelchair areas, better design, etc. for bus services not just in London but in the rest of the UK and Ireland. You can read more about my suggestion here.

Some of my followers on Twitter/X might have seen that I have tweeted a list of express and limited stop bus routes, which was provided by London Transport.

I have taken the information from the London Bus Route histories website. Here is the list of express and limited stop routes:

A1 Heathrow Airport to Hounslow Bus Garage 1969 - 1977
C1 West Croydon to New Addington 1970 - 1980
C2 West Croydon to New Addington 1970 - 1978
C3 West Croydon to New Addington 1970 - 1982
C4 West Croydon to New Addington 1970 - 1982
D1 Mile End to Isle of Dogs 1984 - 1989
D1 Waterloo to Isle of Dogs 1990 - 1999
D5 Mile End to Mill Harbour 1989 - 1990
D11 London Bridge Station to Canary Wharf 1991 - 1995
K1 Kingston to Chessington 1983 - 1985
K2 Kingston Bus Station to Tolworth 1983 -1985
SL1/SL2 Paddington to Paddington (Stationlink Circular) via London Bridge 1996 - 2002
X15 East Beckton to Bank 1989 - 1995 (used doored AEC Routemasters till November 1991, replaced by DLR)
X30 West Croydon to New Addington 1987 - 2000 (replaced by Tramlink T3)
X43 North Finchley to London Bridge 1992 - 1998
52A Colindale Depot to Borehamwood 1955 - 1962
53X Oxford Circus to Plumstead Common 1988 - 1992
X53 Oxford Circus to Thamesmead 1993 - 2000
X71 Ham to Chessington 1988 - 1991
X72 Woolwich to Thamesmead 1994 - 1999
74X Baker Street Station to London Zoo 28 March 1975 - 10 October 1975
X99 Forester Harlow to Basildon via Ilford 1986 - 1987 (Six month experimental service)
130 West Croydon Station to New Addington 1955 - 1970
130/130B West Croydon to New Addington 1982 - 1987
174 Romford Station to Harold Hill 1955 - 1990
177 Thamesmead to County Hall 1983 - 1993
212 Finsbury Park Station to Muswell Hill Broadway 1955 - 1968
292 Borehamwood to Colindale 1962 - 1965
296 Copthall Stadium to Hendon Central 31 March 1979 - 28 September 1979
472 Thamesmead to Woolwich 1988 - 1994
609 (Airbus) Mortlake High Street to Bank 1993 - 1994
615 Poplar to St Pauls Station 1970 - 1971
616 Cricklewood Garage to Oxford Circus 1970 - 1981
705 Paddington to Liverpool Street 2002 - 2005
726 Heathrow Airport Central to Dartford 1991 - 2005 (replaced by X26 which is now SL7)
X767 Uxbridge to Heathrow Cargo Village 1992 - 1993
Further reading and suggestions:
I invite you to follow me on Twitter/X by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my Twitter/X page here. I'm also on BlueSky and Mastodon.
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