It’s been a big week for the Bakerloo line upgrade and extension (BLUE) with the launch of a new report in Parliament and “bottoming-out” completed at Elephant and Castle station.
Elephant and Castle tube station bottoming-out for new ticket hall and Bakerloo extension
Last Tuesday (5 March ), Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council, set out what the BLUE could deliver for the capital, at the launch of a new report titled Moving London Forward.
It would support over 100,000 new homes, create 10,000 jobs in Lewisham, Southwark and Bromley, and deliver a £1.5bn boost to the economy every year. Travel time from Old Kent Road to Oxford Circus would be cut by nearly two thirds from 38 minutes to 13 minutes.
Cllr Williams was joined by other London leaders who all made the case to #BackTheBakerloo, including: Vicky Foxcroft MP, Member of Parliament for Lewisham Deptford; Jennifer Daothong, Chief Executive of Lewisham Council; John Dickie, Chief Executive of BusinessLDN and Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London for Transport.
In the same week, Cllr Williams joined an event to mark a major building milestone at the new ticket hall at Elephant and Castle tube station.
Works hit the deepest level for the new step-free entrance and ticket hall to the Northern line that will be integrated with the Bakerloo line’s ticket hall. This will make changing between the two lines easier and reduce congestion.
The new ticket hall enables the tunnels to reroute. This paves the way for extending the Bakerloo line, making Elephant and Castle the first new station of the new route when it gets the green light.
The council will also invest a further £250k into the BLUE thanks to a levy raised on development (CIL money which helps the council ensure developments in Southwark work for all). Southwark’s £250k has been match-funded by Lewisham Council in order to design new stations along the route of the extension.
Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council, said:
“The Bakerloo Line Upgrade and Extension’s time has come. It’s a shovel ready project that will unlock thousands of homes and jobs. So it is no surprise that it has the backing of MPs, the Mayor of London, TfL, London Councils, London businesses and residents right across our city. It’s fantastic to see the route’s ‘first station upgrade’ under construction. It’s time the government got on board, and switched the signals to green.”
Brenda Dacres, Mayor of Lewisham, said:
“The Bakerloo Line is vital to unlocking the new homes, jobs and investment Lewisham needs and deserves. We’ve been arguing for the upgrade and extension for many years and this report sets out the clear benefits not just for Lewisham and London, but for the whole country.
The Bakerloo Line is vital to Lewisham and London’s continued growth. Locally it would slash journey times and provide much-needed capacity at our busiest stations as well as the least well-connected parts of the borough. It would create tens of thousands of new jobs and homes, as well as make our capital city greener and more sustainable.
The project has overwhelming support from local people and a wide range of businesses. There was real enthusiasm from those who came to our report launch in parliament, and it was important to share its findings with people who help to lobby for and shape funding decisions. The message is clear – now is the time for the Government to commit to this vital project.”
The Moving London Forward analysis was commissioned by Central London Forward, Lewisham Council and Southwark Council. It was carried out by Hatch, a consultancy that specialises in transport and infrastructure.
