A new express bus running along the proposed route of the Bakerloo line extension will launch at the weekend – with passengers enjoying free travel for its opening week.
London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan was due to preview the long-awaited “Bakerloop” addition to his Superloop network on Wednesday morning.
Transport for London is paying Go-Ahead subsidiary London Central more than £4.9m to operate the route, which will use existing electric double deckers rebranded in the Bakerloo’s brown colour scheme.
The Bakerloop, which will be known as BL1, will link Waterloo and Lewisham via New Cross Gate but will be a limited-stop service, meaning journeys should be quicker than other buses running along the same Old Kent Road corridor.
This is the 11th Superloop route – the original 10 were completed with the launch of the SL4 that coincided with the opening of the Silvertown tunnel in April.
Passengers will still be required to touch in as they board the bus as usual but won’t be charged.
The BL1 will follow the route of the proposed – but unfunded – Bakerloo line Tube extension to Lewisham, though it will start at Waterloo rather than Elephant and Castle.
The Bakerloo line extension is at least a decade away and appears to have fallen behind the proposed DLR extension to Thamesmead in terms of TfL’s “dream schemes”.
Sir Sadiq said: “A Bakerloo line extension will take years to build, and I don’t want to wait any longer to improve transport connections for Londoners.
“That’s why I’ve introduced the Bakerloop now – a faster, greener service, building on the success of the Superloop, that delivers the links people need immediately, while showcasing just how transformative the Bakerloo line extension could be for our city and economy."
TfL has also confirmed it will proceed with the SL12 route between Gants Hill and Rainham via Romford, with the launch expected in 2026.
In addition, a consultation has opened on the SL13, which would link Hendon and Ealing Broadway.
TfL has also proposed a SL14 route between Stratford bus station and Chingford Hatch, and a SL15 between Clapham Junction and Eltham station.
The SL14 consultation will open on Thursday, The Standard has been told. The SL15 consultation is expected to open in October.
A SL11 route between Abbey Wood and North Greenwich, supporting regeneration plans in Thamesmead, is due to launch in “early 2026”, replacing the 472 bus.
The Autumn launch of the Bakerloop was confirmed in June following positive feedback from the consultation.
The Bakerloop buses will feature USB smartphone charging points in the back of seats and moquette seat covers indicating priority seating areas.
Many people in south-east London continue to back the idea of extending the Bakerloo line and made clear in the Bakerloop consultation that the BL1 should only be used as a “stop gap”.
Brenda Dacres, the mayor of Lewisham, said in June: “This must be just the beginning.”
She said on Wednesday: “By following part of the proposed extension route, it brings to life the vision of the Bakerloo Line Extension – offering the promise of faster, greener and more direct journeys for everyone.
“Though this new service is a positive step, many communities south of Lewisham will still remain underserved, and bus travel simply doesn’t match the speed or efficiency of trains.
“That’s why the Bakerloo Line Extension remains crucial – not only for delivering the transformative connectivity our borough needs, but also for unlocking the new homes, jobs and wider economic benefits.”
Bakerloop buses will run every 12 minutes during the day between Monday and Saturday and every 15 minutes in the early morning, evening and on a Sunday.
The route will also call at Burgess Park (Dunton Road), Old Kent Road (Ilderton Road), New Cross Gate, Lewisham station and town centre.
There will be reductions in frequency to route 453, which runs along part of the same route.
There were 1,298 responses to the consultation. Asked how often they would use the Bakerloop, the most common answer – from 37 per cent of respondents – was “a few times each month”.
A total of 23 per cent of respondents said they would use route the Bakerloop “every day”, while 59 per cent said they would be more likely to use it than a private car.
However 29 per cent of respondents said the Bakerloop would make no difference to their journeys.
The Superloop network was first launched by the mayor in the summer of 2023 as a “trade off” to suburban Londoners forced from their cars by the mayor’s Londonwide expansion of the Ulez ultra-low emission zone.
Havering council leader Ray Morgon said he was “delighted” that TfL had confirmed the opening of the SL12 route, which he said would provide a “vital connection”, especially to the south of the borough.
He said: “This marks a significant milestone in our long-standing campaign to improve north-south transport links across the borough.
“We have consistently lobbied the Mayor of London and TfL… to deliver meaningful investment in public transport infrastructure. From opposing the expansion of Ulez without adequate transport alternatives, to challenging the withdrawal of the 347 bus route, we have never missed an opportunity to make our case.
“The announcement of the SL12 route, running between Gants Hill and Rainham via Romford and Elm Park, is a direct result of our persistent efforts. We are especially pleased that TfL will also include key stops at Rainham BID, Rainham Tesco and Romford station—ensuring the route serves the real needs of our residents and businesses.
“However, while this is a positive development, it is only the beginning. We will continue to campaign for further improvements to better link up the borough.”
