SL7 Superloop from Cheam to Croydon: Why it's worth ditching the train

My original plan was pretty straightforward: get a train from Epsom, take Southern into Croydon and get off at either the East or West station.

Unfortunately, the railway had other ideas.

The train was cancelled, leaving me to find another way into Croydon.

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There is no direct bus from Ewell to Croydon, although that meant I was facing a much longer journey than planned.

I ended up getting a bus to North Cheam, where I waited for the next connection… then I waited some more.

At one point, a bus arrived only for it to be announced as out of service, and I was told the next Superloop would not be arriving for another 26 minutes.

The SL7 route (Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

Thankfully, we are now in that brief period between the heatwave and the next temperature drop, so at least I wasn't standing at the bus stop in unbearable heat.

Then the timetable changed, and the Superloop was suddenly approaching in six minutes.

That was how I ended up taking one for the first time ever.

I've heard people talk about the Superloop network for ages, and it seems to have built up a particularly loyal following among south London bus users.

At the time the Superloop was first announced, TFL described it as the "jewel in the crown" to the bus network and labelled it a "game changer", with London Mayor Sadiq Khan backing the statement.

Three years later, the network has expanded its routes, stating to have boosted sustainable travel.

The SL7 finally arrived (Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

I had never actually been on one, though, so I was interested to see what all the fuss was about.

I'm far more familiar with routes such as the 418 and 467, where buses seem to stop every couple of minutes as they make their way through Surrey and south London.

The Superloop felt different from the moment I boarded it, partly because the SL7 is designed to cover a much longer journey and actually feels like it is trying to get somewhere rather than stopping at every possible opportunity.

The SL7 starts at Heathrow, so it was hardly surprising to see luggage space on board and a few people travelling with suitcases, which was a noticeable difference from the routes I normally use around home.

I also happened to board the bus on a day when TfL revenue protection officers had been unleashed.

Revenue Protection Officers were on a roll (Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

I witnessed someone being fined, which was enough of a reminder that it really is worth following the rules when travelling around London.

Tap in, make sure you have the right ticket and don't take your chances, because seeing someone actually receive a fine is a fairly effective deterrent.

Once we were on our way, I could start paying attention to the journey itself.

We travelled through Sutton, and I found it interesting seeing the town from the bus rather than passing through it on a train.

Gradually, the scenery began to change as we moved away from Sutton town centre and towards Carshalton, where the surroundings start to feel much more villagey.

Then came the Greyhound and Carshalton Ponds.

The Greyhound signals Carshalton (Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

It was particularly nice to see the ponds looking normal again rather than drained, and there was something quite pleasant about seeing familiar Surrey landmarks from a completely different perspective.

But then the scenery started to change as the Superloop continued towards Croydon.

The greener parts of Sutton and Carshalton slowly gave way to busier roads and larger buildings, and before long those huge Croydon tower blocks started appearing in the distance.

When the tower blocks appear, you know Croydon is approaching (Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

It was fascinating to watch the transition happen, with Sutton gradually rolling into Croydon and the landscape becoming denser and more built-up as you get closer to the centre.

As someone who is rather fond of Surrey and considerably less enthusiastic about Croydon, I couldn't help but notice the contrast again.

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Eventually, we reached East Croydon, with its huge transport hub bringing together trains, trams, buses and commuters, before the journey continued towards West Croydon.

By the time I finally arrived, I had travelled a route I had never intended to take and experienced a form of transport I had never actually used before.

The cancelled train had turned into my first ever Superloop journey.

Having finally experienced it for myself, I think I understand why people love these buses.

What I liked most was that the journey didn't simply feel like a way of getting from one place to another.

I could actually see the places I was travelling through, from Sutton and Carshalton to the gradual arrival of Croydon's skyline.

Would I have preferred my original train to have turned up? Absolutely.

But would I now get on the Superloop again? Definitely.

Sometimes a cancelled train is not quite the disaster you expect it to be.