New bus route to join London’s 194km Superloop expansion

A new bus route named the ‘Bakerloop’ is set to improve transport connections in south-east London and will launch for passengers this autumn.

The express bus service will connect Waterloo station to Elephant and Castle and Lewisham, and will run via Old Kent Road, Burgess Park and New Cross Gate.

It is set to mirror the proposed Bakerloo tube line extension route, and is part of the Superloop network expansion, a 194km network of bus services that has improved transport in the city’s suburbs.

Consultation on the BL1 route closed on 14 March, with Transport for London (TfL) stating that it received mostly positive support from residents.

open image in gallery

Geoff Hobbs, TfL's director of public transport service planning, said: "It is great to see support for the 'Bakerloop' express bus running between Waterloo and Lewisham which would enable us to improve public transport connectivity and capacity between southeast London and central London by delivering some of the same benefits that the Bakerloo line extension would.”

The BL1 is due to operate every 12 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes, and then every 15 minutes during Sundays, evenings and early mornings.

Feedback from local stakeholders and residents found that 82 per cent agreed the route would be more convenient, and 79 per cent said it would result in a quicker bus journey time.

The mayor of Lewisham Brenda Dacres said: "Lewisham welcomes the launch of the Bakerloop bus and thanks the Mayor and TfL for taking action to address the long-standing transport gap in south east London.

“But this must be just the beginning. With growing public support, we will continue to press for the Bakerloo Line Upgrade and Extension - a game-changing project that will mean faster journeys and new opportunities for our community as well as thousands of homes, jobs and economic growth unlocked for the UK."

Three other routes have also been proposed, which would travel between Ealing Broadway and Hendon, Stratford and Chingford Hatch and Clapham Junction and Elham station.

Consultations for all three are set to begin in autumn.