Lewisham step up campaign for Bakerloo line extension

 

Bakerloo line at Elephant & Castle. Pic: Sunil Prasannan

Lewisham and Southwark Councils have launched a campaign with Millwall football club to back the proposed Bakerloo line extension.

Officers and councillors from Southwark and Lewisham gathered around Millwall’s ground, The Den, on Saturday March 2 as part of the club’s Community Day. The councils teamed up to hand out leaflets to fans and collect what is now over 11,000 pledges.

Councillor Brenda Dacres, Cabinet Member for Parks, Neighbourhoods and Transport at Lewisham Council, said: “It’s fantastic that Millwall is supporting our campaign to bring the Bakerloo line to Lewisham. Every voice that joins strengthens our cause, and this is an extremely strong and welcomed voice.

“The extension to Lewisham and beyond will mean faster and more frequent journeys and better connections to central London. It will link us to every underground line, bring more jobs and homes for our residents and greater opportunities for our local businesses.”

Lewisham Council has been working together with Southwark Council in efforts to secure the Bakerloo line extension, which was proposed in September 2018 and is hoped to be completed by 2029. The councils believe that the proposal will push plans to regenerate Old Kent Road.

A marketing campaign has been launched by Lewisham Council with posters and billboards in over 50 locations across Lewisham.

The two councils, Lewisham and Southwark, have also set up a webpage, backthebakerloo.org.  The website aims to encourage people to pledge their support and explain their visions for the extension and its benefits.

Transport for London is continuing to work on the planning powers and necessary funding to build the extension.

TfL has told Lewisham Council that the next phase could see a further extension of the Bakerloo line to Ladywell, Catford and Lower Sydenham and on to its end station, Hayes in Bromley.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, hopes the construction will commence during 2023 with trains running on the line by 2030. However, funding for the scheme remains uncommitted.

The construction proposes to deliver 25 percent more capacity with potentially 36 trains running per hour instead of the initial line operating with just 22 trains per hour.

The extension confirmed by TfL will include two new underground stations on Old Kent Road along with a stop at New Cross Gate. The Bakerloo line extension would continue from Elephant and Castle station into Lewisham.

 

One Response

  1. Greg Tingey March 15, 2019

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