Boris Johnson today raised hopes of extending the Bakerloo line further into south-east London by describing it as a £2 billion project whose “time has come”.
The Mayor confirmed his wish to take the line from Elephant and Castle to Camberwell and Peckham and probably overground to Bromley after pressure from Labour-run Southwark council.
Their residents often rely on buses, suburban trains or Brixton and Kennington Tube stations in Lambeth to reach central London.
South-east London also lost the South London Line, the circular route via Crystal Palace between London Bridge and Victoria, when the London Overground was extended last year. Council leader Peter John said: “Camberwell is less than three miles from Westminster but it can take you over an hour on the bus. That is not good for London’s economy.” Precise routes have yet to be confirmed and it could take more than a decade to secure funding.
Mr John, who was told by the Mayor that “it’s a deal” when he lobbied him at a property conference in Cannes, said it was important to get the scheme included in Transport for London’s masterplan for 2020.
TfL is working with Southwark and Lewisham to examine the potential for the extension “unlocking” other developments. Mr Johnson said: “It is the new extension of the Northern line that is making possible the development of Battersea. We can do the same for south-east London.”
