The new fast Bakerloop bus service from Lewisham will start on Saturday – and will be free for the first week, Transport for London has confirmed.
London mayor Sadiq Khan launched the BL1 route, which will run from Lewisham shopping centre to Waterloo, on Wednesday.
The BL1, which is intended to be a stop-gap service until a Bakerloo Line extension is built, will only call at Lewisham Shopping Centre, Lewisham station, New Cross Gate station, Ilderton Road, Burgess Park and Elephant & Castle. Heading towards the Elephant, the Lewisham station stop will be outside the Glass Mill leisure centre.
Cash paid to Southwark Council by developers who are building on and near the Old Kent Road is helping fund the bus, with the £5m contribution equivalent to one year of service. The route will run as part of the Superloop network of limited-stop services.
While Transport for London, Southwark Council and Lewisham Council have made extending the Bakerloo Line a priority, no cash has been forthcoming from either the previous Conservative or current Labour government. Refurbishing the existing Bakerloo Line, between Harrow & Wealdstone and Elephant & Castle, with new trains and extending it to Lewisham would cost up to £8 billion, it has been estimated.
TfL said: “Discussions with the government and stakeholders are ongoing about how this important infrastructure could be delivered in the future.”
Both TfL and Lewisham also want a further extension to Hayes and Beckenham Junction to boost new housing in Catford and Sydenham, although Bromley Council has been hostile to the idea, fearing the loss of National Rail trains along the line.
New electric buses will run every 12 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 15 minutes during Sundays, evenings and early mornings. Other buses in the area will remain as before, although some stops have been changed to accommodate the new service.
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. 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.
“To celebrate its launch – and after overwhelming support in our consultation – the Bakerloop will be free to use for its first week. This is a chance for Londoners to experience first-hand how this service can cut journey times, reduce pollution and transform everyday travel across our capital.”
Brenda Dacres, Lewisham’s elected mayor, said the bus was “a welcome and exciting development for southeast London”.
She added: “Though this new service is a positive step, many communities south of Lewisham will still remain underserved, and bus travel simply doesn’t match the speed or efficiency of trains. That’s why the Bakerloo Line Extension remains crucial – not only for delivering the transformative connectivity our borough needs, but also for unlocking the new homes, jobs and wider economic benefits.”
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