In March, a consultation was launched on introducing an express bus service, designated SL11, between North Greenwich and Abbey Wood via Thamesmead.
The Superloop bus will follow the same journey as the existing 472 except for a more direct route down Beresford Street in Woolwich town centre, but most of its 40 stops will be missed out.
Transport for London (TfL) has said that bus stops that are no longer called at will continue to be served by other local routes.
Night service N472 will remain unchanged and will continue serving all existing stops between midnight and 5am.
Transport bosses have now confirmed that they will move ahead with the proposals, with the 472 withdrawn and replaced by the SL11 in early 2026.
It came despite concerns from some respondents, including Bexley Council, about the impact of withdrawing the existing bus route.
The local authority also suggested that the SL11, or the existing SL3 between Thamesmead and Bromley, could be extended to Belvedere or Welling.
TfL said that retaining the 472 while introducing the SL11 would “provide too much capacity” so would “not represent good value for money”.
It added that there were no plans to extend the Superloop bus beyond Abbey Wood, but claimed that it would “work with stakeholders to help expand the Superloop network in the future”.
In total, 56 per cent of the 653 people who responded to the consultation said that the new route would be more convenient and 65 per cent said it would result in quicker journey times.
The new bus will run seven days a week. During weekdays and Saturdays, buses will run every eight minutes, or every ten minutes in the evening.
Services will be less frequent on Sundays, with one bus every 12 minutes.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said that he wants to double the number of express bus routes across the capital after the “success” of the original 10 routes, which first launched in 2023.
A consultation has already closed on a new Superloop bus between Rainham and Gants Hill.
Full details of three other routes – the SL13 between Ealing Broadway and Hendon, the SL14 between Stratford and Chingford, and the SL15 between Clapham and Eltham – are expected to be revealed later this year.
