Silver and Black Under The Thames

In this report, Watton’s Wanderings samples the new and revised TfL bus services between East and South East London that commenced with the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel on 7th April 2025, which also include a minor change to the existing route using the nearby Blackwall Tunnel.

The “Superloop” network finally gained its 10th route (for now) with the introduction of the SL4 between Canary Wharf & Grove Park via the newly opened Silvertown Tunnel under the Thames on 7th April. Go Ahead London BYD BD11 electric EBD75 of Henley Road (DS) Garage leads another of the class at the Canary Wharf terminus.

EBD55-75 are in “Superloop” livery with signwriting for the SL4.

Route SL4: Canary Wharf to Grove Park

By Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf, where I emerged into the Good Friday sunlight and made my way to West India Avenue, near Westferry Circus, start point of the latest recruit to the “Superloop” family, the SL4. This route began on 7th April 2025 to coincide with the opening of the new Silvertown Tunnel under the River Thames, providing new links between East and South East London. It is operated by Go Ahead London from Henley Road (DS) Garage, using a batch of new BYD BD11 electric double deckers. As with previous “Superloop” routes, the buses are in a red and white livery with appropriate branding and line diagrams showing the main stops on the ‘tween decks side panels.

The SL4 operates every 8 mins M-F daytimes and every 15 mins Sats, Suns and all evenings. I had about 5 mins to wait before EBD75 departed the stand opposite and circumnavigated the roundabout to the first pick-up stop where I boarded. Inside, in addition to route diagrams showing the stops on posters affixed to the cove panels, I noted the various new features of these vehicles, including high backed seating, wood effect flooring, USB ports, the latest info display panels, mood lighting and step edge lighting on the stairs which activates automatically in dark conditions such as passing under bridges or going through tunnels!

Unusually, the SL4 serves all stops at each end of the route, with only the central section through the Silvertown Tunnel being express. We picked up a few passengers on the initial section, which duplicates the existing D3 between Canary Wharf and Leamouth - surely unnecessary, it could be limited stop serving only Canary Wharf Station and East India Station in between. To serve the stop at Leamouth Orchard Place, the bus has to perform a double run, going around the same roundabout twice, which caused some consternation to a few passengers on board. Again, not sure that this is necessary, surely stops could be located on the main road to avoid the additional loop.

From here though, we were onto the new section of route and soon entered the Silvertown Tunnel, with signs indicating that there is a charge for vehicles using it and the Blackwall Tunnel, although bus passengers have a free ride for the first year of operation in an attempt to encourage people to switch to public transport. Passing under the cable car linking the Royal Docks and the Greenwich Peninsula, we entered via the southbound portal, where the nearside of the two lanes is a designated Bus Lane, although controversially lorries are also allowed to use it. A 30MPH speed limit applies.

After less than a couple of minutes, we emerged onto the south side of the river, passing close to North Greenwich Station but not serving it. We continued on via the dual carriageway before turning off to serve the first stop on this side at Shooters Hill Road / Kidbrooke Park Road. All stops served from this point on, via existing route 89 across Blackheath to the station. Then via the 202 down to Lee, before continuing along the 261 to the terminus at Grove Park Station. Being a quiet morning on a Bank Holiday, we took a mere 40 mins end to end, not bad at all and much quicker than such a journey could have been made previously, which would have required at least 3 different buses.

Line diagrams showing the points served by the SL4 appear on the interior cove panels of the new EBDs. Unusually, the SL4 serves all stops at each end of the route with an express section in the middle through the tunnel, rather than being limited stop throughout like most other “Superloop” routes, with the exception of the SL6 which operates in a similar way.

Route SL4: Grove Park to Canary Wharf

For the return run, I was expecting to board the next bus off the stand, but EBD62 arrived out of service from the garage and formed the first departure. The driver appeared to be undergoing route and/or type training, as an Instructor was in the front nearside seat and was giving him directions. A busier journey in this direction and we carried a good number of short riders over the first section through Lee to Blackheath Station several making use of the new “round the corner” links. Past the funfair on Blackheath itself and onto Shooters Hill Road, before rejoining the dual carriageway at the Sun In The Sands Roundabout for a fast run back through the Silvertown Tunnel northbound. The double loop was again traversed at Leamouth to serve Orchard Place and we then picked up many at almost every stop, until we were full and standing, due to running just ahead of an empty D3! We arrived back at Canary Wharf after a trip of 50 mins, some 10 mins longer than the southbound run.

The SL4 is a useful new route, however I feel it could benefit from a limited stop operation throughout and a possible extension to Bromley at the southern end to provide interchange with other “Superloop” services. No doubt time will tell how usage builds up and whether such changes are felt necessary.

Approaching the southbound portal of the Silvertown Tunnel aboard EBD75 on my first SL4 journey. The IFS Cloud Cable Car passes overhead, linking the Greenwich Peninsula with the Royal Docks.

Note the sign advising of the toll charge introduced for both the Blackwall & Silvertown Tunnels, although bus fares through are free for 1 year to encourage usage.

DLR Replacement: Canary Wharf to Poplar; Part Route 108: Poplar to North Greenwich

The DLR was not running from Canary Wharf to Stratford due to planned engineering work, but as I arrived at Canary Wharf Station, LT696 appeared on the Rail Replacement Bus Service. Confirming with the driver that it called at All Saints, I hopped on for a couple of stops to Poplar via Blackwall, which took only 10 mins.

At All Saints Church, I crossed the road to the 108 stop, for a short trip southbound through the Blackwall Tunnel aboard GAL SEe14 of New Cross (NX) Garage. Until the recent changes, this was the only route linking East and South East London, and has received a short diversion via a new slip road just after passing through the tunnel to North Greenwich Bus Station, saving a couple of minutes on the old routeing which was slightly longer.

Poster explaining the extension of the existing route 129 through the Silvertown Tunnel to Gallions Reach.

This was on display at Canning Town Bus Station, a point not served by the extension!

Route 129: North Greenwich - Gallions Reach

At North Greenwich, I switched to the second of the routes to serve the new Silvertown Tunnel, the 129, an existing service which has received a long extension through Docklands to Gallions Reach. Also operated by GAL, the 129 moved from New Cross (NX) to Henley Road (DS) Garage with the changes, exchanging its former diesel Enviro400s for new electric BYD B11s in the process. However, unlike the examples on the SL4, those on the 129 are in plain London red livery. The 129 frequency has been increased from x12 to x8 mins M-F daytimes, x12 to x10 mins Sat daytimes and x20 to x12 mins eves and Suns.

I jumped on EBD91, which was next to depart and was well filled, obviously the new links already proving popular. Looping around from North Greenwich to the tunnel approach, we were soon passing through the Silvertown Tunnel northbound. However, once through, instead of carrying straight on as per the SL4, we turned off into Docklands close to Royal Docks Station. We then followed the 330 past West Silvertown and Pontoon Dock Stations, before reaching Connaught Bridge, where we did a double run to London City Airport as per the 473 & 474. After this, we continued along Royal Albert Way a short distance, before turning off via the 376 beside Beckton District Park, then linking up with the 262 through to Beckton Station and on to Gallions Reach Station. From here, we covered the final stretch, a short new section of route with a terminal loop through a new housing development at Great Eastern Quay, finishing at Magellan Boulevard. The new extension adds about half an hour of running time to the 129, effectively doubling its length.

Go Ahead EBD12 is at the Gallions Reach terminus of the 129, which serves a new development at Great Eastern Quay.

Henley Road Garage received new EBD76-99 for the 129, but this is an earlier example which was transferred in prior to the latest deliveries. These are all in standard red livery unlike the “Superloop” batch.

Route 129: Gallions Reach to Lewisham

After a short break to observe comings and goings at the new Great Eastern Quay destination, which already seemed to be attracting good custom, I boarded a subsequent departure formed by EBD97. Reasonable numbers on the extension via the reverse of the outward journey. As we approached Royal Docks, I noted one of the electric BYD E200EV single decks on the Silvertown Cycle Service (designated “SCS” by TfL) in a special silver/blue/green livery. This route is only for cyclists and has bike racks on board. It operates between North Greenwich, Millennium Way and Royal Victoria DLR Station, Non-Stop. Every 12 mins daily, 0630 to 2130.

Then it was back through the Silvertown Tunnel, via Millennium Way to North Greenwich Station, before continuing on over the previously existing section of route through Millennium Village Retail Park to East Greenwich, Greenwich Town Centre and finally into Lewisham. We terminated at Molesworth Street after a total end to end journey time of 1h15m.

The 129 has certainly grown from its humble beginnings as a short North Greenwich - Greenwich local service in 2006, operated initially by Travel London with Enviro200s. Go Ahead London took over in 2011 with ED single deckers, although it was later upgraded to double deck with PVL, WVL and E types being the main performers at different times. The Lewisham extension came in 2022 as part of a package of changes associated with the opening of the Elizabeth Line, when it replaced part of the 180 over this section.

The 129 began as a short route between North Greenwich and Greenwich, but in May 2022 it was extended to Lewisham to replace a section of the 180, as WVL355 demonstrates in Molesworth Street during the first month of operation to this point.

Back then, the route was operated by Morden Wharf (MG) Garage, who had a few WVLs still in the old charcoal skirt and yellow band livery, although part of it is missing here!

Route 108: Lewisham to Stratford

To complete my tour of the routes through the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels, I switched back to the 108, this time covering the whole route from Lewisham to Stratford International. Sadly, the Mercedes Benz Citaros which provided such sterling service on the route for some years have now been withdrawn and replaced by early Enviro200EV types redeployed from the former “Red Arrow” routes after their withdrawal a couple of years ago. I had SEe15 of New Cross (NX) Garage, refurbished and upseated from its former life in Central London.

The 108 is a very busy service and could do with double deckers, as we were full and standing on leaving Lewisham Shopping Centre. However, height restrictions in the Blackwall Tunnel permit only single deckers these days, although there were no such problems back in RT days in the 50s and 60s, as the type successfully ran on the route for some years. Today, double deckers do operate a supplementary operation on the route at times of special events at the O2 Centre, but only over the North Greenwich - Lewisham section.

Despite many alighting in Blackheath Village, we picked up more passengers in replacement as we continued via the Royal Standard, Westcombe Park and the Millennium Retail Park. However, most alighted at North Greenwich Station and it was a more comfortable journey through the Blackwall Tunnel to Poplar. We then followed the diversion via Langdon Park and Devons Road Stations, introduced in 2016 when the 108 swapped its direct route to Bromley-by-Bow with the D8 - a retrograde step in my opinion, as it slows down the longer distance 108 whilst speeding up the quieter local D8 route with no real benefits.

At Bow Church, we caught up with the 108 in front and operated in tandem with it through to Stratford, serving the London Aquatics Centre, Stratford City Bus Station and ending at Stratford International Station. 65 mins for the whole trip was reasonable given the busy first half of the journey.

As mentioned, the 108 was RT operated at one time, famously featuring buses with specially strengthened tyres due to excessive rubbing against the kerbs in the old Blackwall Tunnel, which was then single bore with one lane each way. Running between Bromley-by-Bow and Lower Sydenham / Crystal Palace, it was cut back to Blackheath at the southern end on OPO conversion to MB single deckers in 1968. In 1970, the route was re-extended, this time to Eltham, with an extension at the other end to Stratford coming in 1977. Then, in 1986 the southern destination was amended to Lewisham. At the northern end, an extension to Wanstead to replace part of the 10 in 1988 only lasted around 5 years before a cut back to Stratford again. 2016 saw the change in terminus from Stratford Bus Station to Stratford International Station.

The 70s saw type changes from MB to SM and then to LS, which continued until 1989 when the route transferred from London Buses to Boroline under tendering using Lynxes. Kentish Bus assumed control in 1992, still with Lynxes, until these were replaced with Volvo B6 types. Harris Bus had a go on the route with Excels in 1997, but when they failed in 2000, East Thames Buses took over. Go Ahead London has been the operator since 2009, operating firstly DWL types, then MEC until the current SEe conversion, completed in Feburary 2025.

Go Ahead BYD Enviro200EV SEe15 of New Cross (NX) Garage at Stratford International after my trip on it from Lewisham. The 108 has gained a minor reroute southbound using a new slip-road to reach North Greenwich from the Blackwall Tunnel.

The route is now operated by a batch of these early SEe class vehicles which have been upseated and refurbished from their previous life on “Red Arrow” routes 507 & 521, withdrawn in 2023.

After alighting at Stratford International, I made my way around the corner to Stratford City and entered Stratford Station for the journey home at the end of a successful day crossing and re-crossing the Thames via two different tunnels.

Watton

The SEe vehicles replaced the Mercedes Benz Citaros formerly on the 108, with the last examples of the latter withdrawn in February 2025. First of class, MEC1, of Morden Wharf (MG) Garage in the rain at Lewisham back in December 2021 recalls the good old days.