Lewisham and Southwark council leaders call on Kwasi Kwarteng to start Bakerloo line extension

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

South London council leaders have called on the Government to start digging tunnels for the proposed Bakerloo line extension.

Mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan, and Southwark council leader Kieron Williams, have urged new Conservative chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng to set aside billions of pounds for the lengthening of the Underground line in the November budget.

Transport for London announced plans to extend the Bakerloo line South East to Lewisham in 2017.

Extra stops would be created at the Old Kent Road in Southwark and New Cross Gate in Lewisham under the proposals. The south side of the line currently ends at Elephant & Castle.

The new stretch of line was originally meant to open in 2029, but work to construct the extension hasn’t even yet started.

In December, mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned the £3.1 billion lengthening of the route wouldn’t go ahead because of TfL’s lack of money.

In a joint statement the two Labour council leaders said the project would provide an essential boost to London’s economy at a time when the capital was struggling to recover from the pandemic and the UK was on the brink of sliding into a recession.

Cllr Williams said: “The Bakerloo line upgrade and extension would support the delivery of over two million square feet of employment space, 20,000 new homes and 12,000 new jobs.

Mayor Egan said: “London is the beating heart of the British economy and the Bakerloo line extension is vital to Lewisham and London’s continued growth.”

They added that the extension, which would provide 100,000 people with a new transport link to central London, was crucial if the government hoped to meet its target of reaching 2.5 per cent economic growth.

A City Hall report from December 2021 warned cancelling the Bakerloo line expansion could wipe £6.4 billion off the UK economy over 40 years.

The lengthening of the London Underground route would create a new direct connection between Harrow in North West London and Lewisham.

Southwark and Lewisham say the extension would also relieve traffic on roads – improving air quality, as well as helping to free-up packed London buses.

Pictured top: Southwark council leader Keiron Williams sand Lewisham mayor Damien Egan (Picture: Southwark council and Lewisham council)