Bakerloo line extension plans examined further

Two firms will further examine the possibility of an extension to the Bakerloo line.

Transport for London (TfL) is appealing to the government for funding. If the project is approved, TfL believes construction could start in the 2030s with services running by 2040.

It is estimated the extension would cost between £5.2bn and £8.7bn, based on figures from 2021. The line would be extended south from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham via New Cross Gate, with new stations proposed at Old Kent Road and Burgess Park.

Over the next eight months, TfL hopes to encourage the acceleration of its finance request once designs by architects at WW+P are under way, with civil engineering matters managed by AECOM.

'Boost to our national economy'

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has proposed setting up a "Bakerloop" bus service as an interim service.

Mr Khan’s re-election manifesto this year included a pledge "to work with a Labour government to take the necessary steps to give Londoners the services they deserve", including a "push" for the Bakerloo line extension.

The extension could provide a £1.5bn boost to the economy each year, according to Shadi Shekarrizi, AECOM’s rail director for London and the South East.

She said the new stations would support regeneration and incentivise new housing development, while reducing traffic congestion and overcrowding on local public transport and improving air quality.

The leader of Brent Council, Muhammed Butt, wrote to the government in August urging it to release the project’s required funding, arguing that the project could "unlock 20,400 homes and 9,700 jobs and deliver a £1.5bn boost to our national economy".

A further extension to the line, towards Hayes and Beckenham Junction, has been proposed but is not part of the current study.