It’s been at the very top of south London’s wish list for years now, and it looks like all of that wishing, waiting, and (occasional) whining may have finally paid off. That’s right, folks: TfL has revealed that the Bakerloo Line will soon stretch all the way to Lewisham. And when we say soon; we actually mean in the next 15 years. But let’s not let that minor detail rain on our parade, hey?
It’s no secret that the the London Underground offering in south London is rather thin-on-the-ground in comparison to other areas of the city, so this news has been a long time coming, to say the least. The proposed plans would see four south London stops added to the Bakerloo Line; two existing stations and two shiny new ones.
Extending the line from Elephant and Castle through to Lewisham, the route will pass through two new stations – Burgess Park and Old Kent Road – before reaching New Cross Gate (where passengers will be able to connect to the Overground), and – of course – Lewisham (which conveniently connects to the DLR). This extension will also give TfL the option to further extend the line to the likes of Catford, Beckenham, and Hayes in the future.
Now for the not-so-good news. Construction for the Bakerloo Line extension was due to start last year but (shock horror) was pushed back. Work is now set to begin in 2030 and could take a decade to complete, meaning that this tube line extension may not actually see the light of day until 2040.
Much like everything else in the capital city; this extension would come with quite a hefty price tag. Back in 2014, the cost of the extension was estimated at around £2billion. That cost has now risen to between £5-8billion.
The boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark will both likely pitch in to help foot some of the bill, but TfL will also need some funding from the government to get the wheels in motion. Although the project is set to be (very) expensive, the extension would lower carbon emissions, improve the air quality in the area, and – of course – put a smile on many south London faces.
Nothing is set in stone just yet but you can find out more about the proposed plans here.