The Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee has written to the Secretary of State for Transport reiterating the need for sustained investment in the capital’s transport, including projects such as the Bakerloo line extension.
The Bakerloo Line Upgrade and Extension cannot happen without support from government.
The Committee believes London needs steady and sustained investment in its transport to ensure critical infrastructure projects continue and the transport network can support all the demands of those who live, work and visit the city.
Capital funding in the upcoming Spending Review is essential for Transport for London (TfL) if its to deliver sustained improvement across London. This includes the extension of the Bakerloo line from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham and beyond.
The Committee wants to see improved transport services that will unlock growth in the area between Elephant and Castle and Catford and improve customer journeys, especially along Old Kent Road, where existing bus services suffer from traffic delays.
Navin Shah AM, Chair of the Transport Committee, said:
“TfL should not have to beg for funding year on year. It is critical that London receives steady, and long-term investment, in order to ensure the success of this city. However, investment here is not to the detriment of the rest of the UK. For example, TfL ordering new trains for the Piccadilly Line has resulted in the building of a factory in Goole.
Investment, such as signalling improvements and extension of the Bakerloo is the kind of project we need to see happen. It will open up the surrounding area and help support 20,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs.”
Cllr Peter John, Leader of Southward Council, said:
“The south-east of London has been woefully under-served by the underground network for too long. We firmly believe the Bakerloo line extension is vital to open up new opportunities for jobs and businesses across the city and down into the south-east of London, as well as being a key component in the much needed delivery of new homes, especially affordable housing, and services that will make a real difference to people living and working in this part of Southwark.
We’ve shown there is strong support for the extension with the sheer number of people supporting our Back the Bakerloo campaign, and more signing up every day, including other London councils along the Bakerloo, who will benefit from a long overdue upgrade on the rest of the line.”
Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham said:
“The Bakerloo line extension would be revolutionary for Lewisham. It will cut journey times between Lewisham and central London with trains every 2-3 minutes, help to deliver thousands of new affordable homes, and bring more jobs to south-east London.
Lewisham and Southwark’s Back the Bakerloo campaign has shown that there is overwhelming support for the Bakerloo line extension from residents and business leaders from across London. But bringing the Bakerloo line to Lewisham and beyond to Hayes can only happen if the government gives TfL certainty around investment funding.”
