TfL reveals change to Bakerloop plan for express Superloop buses between Waterloo and Lewisham
Transport for London have published their response to earlier consultation into new Superloop-like route BL1 nicknamed the “Bakerloop”.
With no Bakerloo line extension confirmed – only the 80 years and counting – a faster bus is proposed along the Old Kent Road along a potential Bakerloo line route.
Given thousands of homes are already rising – let alone planned – along the Old Kent Road improved capacity will be needed. It’s also a bit of PR to say to government “we need something better to transport many thousands of people” heading to work, school etc.
Alongside the BL1 a reduction in 453 frequencies is planned. Overall bus levels along the Old Kent Road rise slightly from 58 to 60.
Changes
Transport for London’s report shows a total of 1,298 responses to the consultation. Various comments on bus stop locations were made, with the report noting:
“These included a suggestion to reduce the number of proposed bus stops in Lewisham town centre and in Elephant & Castle, and for a bus stop to be added at Bricklayers Arms (Tower Bridge Road/New Kent Road).
“It was also suggested the bus route be further extended into the London Boroughs of Lewisham and Bromley.”
TfL have now revised planned stops in Lewisham and “removed the northbound bus stop on Station Road to allow for a quicker and more direct route leaving Lewisham.”
At the northern end TfL will remove the northbound bus stop on Station Road heading towards Waterloo. Frequencies are set to be every twelve minutes for much of the day.
Housing
New developments are seen in various locations along the proposed route including Lewisham, around the Elephant and Castle as well as the southern end of the Old Kent Road.
It’s a bit of a hotspot around the junction with Ilderton Road.
This includes new private development alongside revamping a Southwark council estate and building new homes on site.
Just last month another 1,051 homes were approved.
Other forthcoming spots include new homes above an Aldi supermarket.
That shop was previously a wasteful single-storey retail shed and extensive car parkin. Similar “out-of-town” developments line this stretch of inner London.
With more than 20,000 homes proposed on the Old Kent Road and more in Lewisham (see the Tesco redevelopment plan as well as the shopping centre) sooner or later something more than a bus will be needed if much needed homes are to be built – or occupants of homes to travel.
Spending review
A Bakerloo line extension would not only facilitate new housing and greatly improve public transport for thousands but could also free up space for additional Southeastern metro services towards central London in future depending on running to Hayes.
That in turn allows higher frequencies to various areas enabling further housebuilding around transport hubs across south east London and Kent.
All eyes on Rachel Reeves now and the spending review as to whether the Bakerloo line will see support. Government last week announced money for transport projects in other parts of England so will London now miss out?
Either/or
Traditionally we see scant public transport cash spread thinly to generate north-south arguments while in France, for example, they’re investing heavily in Paris while also building 20 tram networks across the country since 2000.
As Le Monde covers, Paris saw €18 billion of investment between 2016 and 2024 and an additional €4 billion planned this year.
Whilst it took decades for London to see the Elizabeth line, Paris built five equivalents in RER lines.
Spain too manages to see improved transport in various cities aside from Madrid. It’s not an either/or issue in many nations.
In England it’s so often one or the other when it comes to regions or cities. Let them squabble amongst themselves (Andy Burnham often plays this game) for the scraps of a small pot to the delight of the Treasury rather than invest sufficiently in various cities and regions.
We’ll see this week after the spending review if asking for funds for a growing capital alongside regional cities is again too much to achieve – and whether it’ll be buses alone along miles of inner London in 20 years time.
Could we see a map of this route please?
@Sacha: ‘Could we see a map of this route please?’ It’s right there.
@John Smith: I can’t quite see the point of some of these superloo routes. The SL4 seems to have a bus every three minutes and there is often bunching as they catch up with the one in front. I also think that only stopping at railways stations would create a much faster route to Canary Wharf.
The majority of the Superloop routes are lightly used and often run outside of the peaks hours nesrly empty.
Route SL4 Canary Wharf to Grove Park is one of the better Superloop bus routes has stops more often.south of the river between Sun in The Sands and Grove Park via Blacheath Village and Lee Green. Morw like a normal bus service over this section of the route.
Personally I think the SL4 should have also made a stop at North Greenwich Station before going through the Silvertown Tunnel.
@C: ‘Personally I think the SL4 should have also made a stop at North Greenwich Station …’. Having said I thought the route should be limited to stopping at stations, I was disappointed on my first journey to discover that the bus completely by-passes North Greenwich and the retail park – specifically IKEA, so that I still needed to take two buses from my house in the Lee Green area.
@CDT: ‘TFL would be better off concentrating on improving local bus services …’. I live close to Lee railway station and the only bus that goes into Lewisham town centre is the 261 at intervals of 10 to 12 minutes. It would be nice to have more 261s – I don’t see another route being introduced.
With the Government not giving TFL enough money for infrastructure improvements including the Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham or the DLR extension to Thamesmead. These projects are now unlikely to go ahead anytime soon and certainly not before the end of the current term of this parliament in 2029 when the next General Election is due.
The Bakerloo Line bus will be the best we can hope for.
As for other Superloop routes known as Superloop 2 may now not also go ahead either due to funding issues.
TFL would be better off concentrating on improving local bus services and introducing new local bus routes where possible which will better serve passengers and stop closer to people’s homes work, schools, hospitals doctors etc. Rather than introducing more limited stop services which are generally very lightly used.