TfL reveals final details of Silvertown tunnel cycle bus

17 March 2025 Claudia Lee

Transport for London (TfL) has revealed the final details of how the Silvertown Tunnel “bike bus” will transport cyclists under the Thames.

The £2million Cycle Shuttle Service will run through the tunnel, between North Greenwich and the Royal Docks, every 12 minutes from April 7.

The service will operate seven-days-a-week from 6.30am until 9.30pm and will be free to use for at least the first year, TfL said.

Conventional bikes, tricycles, folded bikes, adaptive cycles and cargo bikes will all be able to use the service, as well as e-bikes and Santander-sponsored TfL bikes.

*The Silvertown Tunnel Cycle Shuttle service bus will stop at Millennium Way, near the junction with Old School Close, on the south side of the river (Picture: TfL)*

Inside, the bus will have two separate bays, each able to hold up to four bikes, with one bay prioritised for non-standard bikes.

There will be two bus stops, one on each side of the river, with the south stop located in Millennium Way near the junction with Old School Close.

Pedestrians travelling without a bike will not be able to use the service.

But three other bus routes will use the Silvertown or Blackwall tunnels, including the new SL4 Superloop, which will also launch on April 7.

TfL will “continue to seek customer feedback” to ensure that the service operates efficiently, the network said.

*the bus will have two separate bays, each able to hold up to four bikes (Picture: TfL)*

Lorna Murphy, Director of Buses at TfL, said: “We’re pleased to share the final details of our innovative cycle-shuttle service, which will provide important cross river connectivity for a range of cyclists through the Silvertown Tunnel.

“This free service will help people cycling in east London cross the river safely and encourage more active travel across the area.

“We have designed this service to support as many different cycle designs as possible within the physical space available, and we look forward to seeing Londoners using it once the Silvertown Tunnel opens on 7 April.”

For more information, visit https://tfl.gov.uk/cycle-shuttle-service

Pictured top: Passenger alights the Silvertown Tunnel Cycle Shuttle service (Picture: TfL)