Bakerloo extension towards Lewisham seems distant prospect – but clamour for it remains

By Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter

Renewed calls have been made for the Government to release billions of pounds in funding to extend and upgrade the Bakerloo line.

If it ever comes to fruition, it would impact thousands of South East Londoners, creating a link to the Underground network that has long been sought after by residents.

In a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, Brent council leader Muhammed Butt has said the project would deliver “undeniable” economic and social benefits.

The scheme, which Londoners were first consulted on back in 2014, would involve extending the line from its current southern terminus at Elephant and Castle down to Lewisham via New Cross Gate – with new stations proposed on the Old Kent Road and at Burgess Park. A second phase would then use existing rail lines to extend it to Hayes.

Brent’s residents are among the most reliant on the line, as the borough has ten of its current stations.

Two years ago, the cost of the extension to Lewisham was estimated at between £5.2bn and £8.7bn at 2021 prices, plus a further £800m to £1.9bn to reach Hayes. But Mr Butt argued that the project would “unlock 20,400 homes and 9,700 jobs and deliver a £1.5bn boost to our national economy”.

The “upgrade” element of the Labour council leader’s request relates to the trains themselves, which at 52 years old, are the UK’s oldest to still be in regular passenger service.

Both the extension and the upgrade are currently unfunded, as Transport for London (TfL) does not have the resources to pay for major infrastructure projects without Government support.

In the letter, co-signed by Brent East MP Dawn Butler and London Assembly member Krupesh Hirani, Mr Butt pointed out that the line is a “vital part of economic infrastructure, with one in six jobs in London within a 12-minute walk of a station”.

He added that the improvements would also help the Government in its net zero mission, not least because the line’s current trains are far heavier than their modern equivalents, and are therefore much less energy efficient.

“This project is vital for London’s continued success – an ambition which I know crosses party lines, and which will go the extra mile to boost our national outlook,” Mr Butt said.

The Government declined to offer a statement in response.

Pictured top: A map of how a new extended Bakerloo line might look (Picture: TfL)