Southwark agrees extra £7.5m for Bakerloo line extension

Southwark Council has agreed additional funding for the first piece of infrastructure to deliver the Bakerloo line extension.

The council has agreed to add an extra £7.5m to its existing, significant contribution for a new entrance and ticket hall for the Northern line Tube station to be delivered as part of the Elephant and Castle town centre development.

The council’s £7.5m investment would be match-funded by TfL.

This additional funding will allow for a fully integrated, step-free interchange at Elephant and Castle between the Northern and Bakerloo lines (once the extension and upgrade of the Bakerloo line has been delivered). This would include escalator access – a long-term aspiration for the council as well as passengers who currently have to navigate a warren of passageways to change lines.

As well as ensuring improved access to the Northern line, this would be the first piece of infrastructure for the Bakerloo line extension which could play a significant part in the regeneration of Old Kent Road.

Cllr Johnson Situ, Cabinet Member for Growth, Development and Planning, said: “The delivery of an integrated public transport exchange has been at the heart of the council’s vision for the regeneration of Elephant and Castle since it adopted the original planning documents in 2004.

The decision, to provide half the costs for this early infrastructure, will help support the case for the overall Bakerloo line extension project, strengthening TfL’s case for capital funding. It will also help strengthen the Elephant and Castle and Old Kent Road areas as office and workplace locations to generate further investment in the area.”

The council has been campaigning for the Bakerloo line extension for several years. The joint Southwark and Lewisham Back the Bakerloo campaign is supported by more than 20,000 people.

Find out more about what the Bakerloo line extension would mean for Old Kent Road