By Jack Mendel
The much-vaunted extension of the Bakerloo Line to South London has taken one step closer this week after proposals were tabled ahead of a meeting next week.
Transport For London’s Programmes and Investment Committee published its plans for the capital’s development in the coming years, this week.
Amongst the proposals include the extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead, and a West London Overground line, as well as a second Crossrail linking the southwest and northeast.
This comes after campaigners warned the Bakerloo Line could suffer a “critical failure” if the government does not provide funding for a planned upgrade and extension.
A report by Central London Forward, a partnership of 12 central London Boroughs, warned of the “escalating risks of inaction” to replace the Bakerloo Line’s rolling stock, which is the oldest still in passenger service in the UK.
The TFL plans “are all at relatively early stages ..but collectively have the potential to unlock up to 300,000 new homes”, it said.
The Bakerloo Line Upgrade (BLU), the filing shows, “will secure the long-term operation of the Bakerloo line through replacement of rolling stock”, as part of the first stage, before there is an “upgrade of signalling/control systems”.
It is part of the government’s £500m funding plans for 2024/25, with the upgrade forecast to include £6.4m. As part of the project, TfL said it is “critical that a funding commitment is reached” with the government so it can begin “procurement of design and build contracts worth approximately £150m” for the infrastructure works.
The extension of the line has also got a pretty hefty price tag.
TfL said plans would “extend the Bakerloo line from Elephant & Castle, serving new stations at Burgess Park, Old Kent Road, New Cross Gate and Lewisham alongside new platforms and interchange at Elephant & Castle.”
“There is also the opportunity for a further extension beyond Lewisham to Hayes and Beckenham Junction
It said work is ongoing to “update the scheme business case and complete the feasibility design, including packages of work looking at station design and funding options that are funded by the London Boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark.”
Estimates for the cost of the extension are between £5-8bn (2023 prices) and construction could “feasibly begin” by 2030.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “While the Mayor is relieved that TfL have agreed a one-year capital funding deal with the DfT, it’s still vitally important that we agree a long-term funding settlement with the government that allows us to plan for the infrastructure investment London needs over the coming decades. Greater certainty over capital funding is essential to delivering the infrastructure investments required to meet London’s ever-growing demand for housing.
Transport improvement projects, like the extension of the Bakerloo line, will not only support homes, jobs and economic growth in London, they have real and sizeable benefits for the economy of the whole UK.”
TfL said the plans were already largely public and declined to comment.
The Programmes and Investment Committee is set to meet on 28 February.
