Transport for London (TfL) has launched the consultation for the proposed new ‘Bakerloop’ express bus service. The consultation was launched this morning by TfL and the Mayor of London, at an event in south London, where they were joined by local and pan-London stakeholders. Last year, the Mayor of London made a commitment to Londoners to introduce a new ‘Bakerloop’ service to enable people to travel between key south London destinations and beyond more quickly and easily.
Working alongside local councils and partners, the plans for the brand-new bus service would largely mirror the proposed Bakerloo line extension route, running between Waterloo, Elephant & Castle and Lewisham via Burgess Park, Old Kent Road, New Cross Gate, Lewisham station and Lewisham town centre. The route will help demonstrate the opportunities presented by the Bakerloo line extension to better connect people in southeast London. The new route would build on the success of the game-changing Superloop, a 138km network of express bus services completed last year that has transformed travel in outer London and added more than six million kilometres per year to the capital’s network. Since the first Superloop was launched in June 2023, figures show the average increase in passengers on all Superloop corridors (including parallel routes) is 11 per cent, which is nine per cent higher than the network average.
Londoners are now invited to provide feedback on the proposed bus stops for the new route during a consultation that will run until 14 March 2025. The route, which would eventually be known as the BL1, would make it easier for residents to connect to services in the wider public transport network, including the London Underground, London Overground, DLR, National Rail and other bus routes, creating new and direct journey links in southeast London. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, passenger service could potentially start in autumn 2025.
The London Boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark have shown support for the project, and, with them, TfL continues to develop plans for the Bakerloo line extension, including tunnel design, station designs and plans for a possible extension beyond Lewisham. Any eventual ‘Bakerloop’ service would be part-funded by Southwark Council through Section 106 funding from development in the area.
The Mayor and TfL continue to discuss with the Government how the extension could be funded. The extension from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham would not only upgrade the existing line and connect a historically under-served part of London to the Tube network but would also unlock thousands of new homes that London needs and support new jobs and economic growth.
As well as the new BL1 route, a number of express routes are also planned as part of the Superloop Expansion programme. Subject to consultation, two other routes forming part of this initial phase of the expansion include the SL11, which would run between Abbey Wood and North Greenwich, supporting regeneration plans in Thamesmead, and SL12, which would run between Rainham, Ferry Lane and Gants Hill, extending the Superloop network further into outer London. The two proposed routes would enable interchange with existing Superloop routes, with the SL11 connecting to the SL3 at Abbey Wood and Thamesmead, and the SL12 allowing easy interchange with SL2 at Gants Hill.
The Superloop, which first launched in 2023, is already providing customers with quicker journey times to key town centres, hospitals, schools, and transport interchanges, helping to make sustainable bus travel a more popular option for people in outer London. The final route, SL4, running between Canary Wharf and Grove Park, will launch on 7 April this year with the opening of Silvertown Tunnel.
tFL Image – ‘Bakerloop’ bus interior
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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Last year, I made a commitment to Londoners to introduce the new Bakerloop bus route, which would run between Waterloo and Lewisham. Today, I’m pleased to announce that TfL is launching this consultation as the first step towards delivering on this commitment, building on the continued success of the Superloop express bus services.
“The new proposed route will mirror the route of the potential Bakerloo line extension and better connect people around southeast London, while also helping to demonstrate how much the capital needs the Bakerloo line extension. This vital infrastructure would not only provide better transport links and upgrade the existing line, but also unlock thousands of new homes and jobs, boosting the economy and building a better, fairer and more prosperous London for all.”
Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “We know from the success of the Superloop that express bus services are providing a hugely valuable way for Londoners to travel. The proposed ‘Bakerloop’ would enable us to improve public transport connectivity and capacity between southeast London and central London by delivering some of the same benefits that the Bakerloo line extension would. Feedback from customers is hugely important to us and I would urge everyone to respond to the consultation. This will enable us to create a bus service which benefits everyone travelling in southeast London and beyond.”
