New bus route launches with free fares in week one

The BL1 will run for 19.5 hours a day

A new bus route that links parts of south-east London has launched with free fares for its first week of operation.

The Bakerloop will run between Waterloo station and Lewisham every 12 minutes during the day from Monday to Saturday and every 15 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays.

Electric double-decker BL1 services will operate between 05:00 BST and 00:30 along the proposed Bakerloo Tube line extension route, stopping at Elephant and Castle, New Cross Gate and Lewisham stations.

The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said: "A Bakerloo line extension will take years to build, and I don't want to wait any longer to improve transport connections for Londoners."

The BL1 connects parts of south-east London between Waterloo and Lewisham

He added: "That's why I've introduced the Bakerloop now - a faster, greener service, building on the success of the Superloop, that delivers the links people need immediately, while showcasing just how transformative the Bakerloo line extension could be for our city and economy."

Lorna Murphy, TfL's director of buses, said: "We're excited to be welcoming customers onto the brand-new express BL1 bus connecting Waterloo and Lewisham with faster and more direct journeys.

"To celebrate its launch, all bus rides on the BL1 will be completely free for customers in the first week, so we encourage everyone to take advantage of this offer. As always, we'll be keeping a close eye on the network to make sure services continue to meet customer demands."

Sir Sadiq said the new bus route would demonstrate the importance of the Bakerloo line extension

The new route is part of the Superloop network which aims to better connect what Transport for London (TfL) describes as "key outer London town centres and transport hubs".

The Bakerloo line extension has not yet received central government funding despite its trains being 53 years old.

The £1.75 fare on the BL1 will be payable from Monday 6 October.