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Bakerloo extension opens in London

Home » Bakerloo extension opens in London Published: 7th March 2017 This Article was Written by: Richard Furlong - City Surveys Group

A public consultation is underway to examine Transport for London’s (TfL) plans to extend the Bakerloo line in London.

The updated proposal – estimated to cost in the region of £3.1bn – will see the construction of four new rail stations, wider platforms, a larger ticket hall and a quicker completion date than was previously stated.  

The planned extension will travel beyond Elephant & Castle and on to Lewisham via Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate.

The four new stations planned for the route aim to boost connectivity and support the regeneration of South London.

The plans propose significant changes for the station at Elephant & Castle that will ‘improve all journeys for customers’ and reduce overcrowding during peak travel times. Changes include a bigger ticket hall, wider platforms and improved connections with the Northern line.

The extension could see a dramatic reduction to journey times with an underground train running on the Bakerloo line every two to three minutes between Lewisham and central London.

Most notably, the plans also aim to bring forward the completion date by up to two years to fit in with planned improvement works elsewhere on the Bakerloo line.

Funding questions

As TfL are working towards planning approval in 2020, further public consultation is to be expected.  There are hopes that the extension could be completed as early as 2028.  TfL have stated that construction could begin as soon as 2023 once funding is secured.

Alex Williams, TfL’s acting managing director of planning, said: “London continues to grow and we need to ensure transport has the capacity to accommodate this growth. The Bakerloo line extension plays an important part in these plans, improving connectivity for an area under-served by public transport where there is potential to support 25,000 new homes and 5,000 new jobs.”

However, there remain doubts over project funding.  Set up as a capital scheme in the most recent TfL business plan, the funding has yet to be secured.

As a starting point, TfL will appeal to prospective developers along the route for investment and will also lobby the government for funding, in the form of revenues raised from local stamp duty and business rates.

Local support

Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, has given his full support to the project. He said: “It will provide substantial benefits for thousands of Londoners.

“The extension also has huge potential for new jobs and 25,000 new homes in the area, helping fulfil our ambition to tackle London’s housing crisis and provide a substantial boost to the local economy.”

Sir Steve Bullock, mayor of Lewisham, said: “A Bakerloo line extension to Lewisham would make it easier for our residents to travel around London and it would bring in much needed investment.”

Also commenting on the extension, Cllr Mark Williams, cabinet member for regeneration and new homes at Southwark, said: “We have big ambitions for the Old Kent Road regeneration, which will pull central London further south and help transform the length of this historic thoroughfare into a dynamic new high street bustling with new homes, including at least 35 per cent affordable homes, new shops and cafes, workspaces, parks and open spaces and safer networks for cyclists and pedestrians.”

Extending the extension

TfL and the mayor of London have also mooted the possibility of the extension travelling further than Lewisham. A second phase of development could see the line travel further out of London, providing the opportunity for much-needed new housing and commercial development along the route.

With work currently underway develop on this ‘second phase proposal’ it seems likely that the London transport network will continue to grow in the years to come.

The public consultation will run up until the 21 April 2017; click here and have your say.