PLANNING CONTINUES FOR NEW TUBE LINK ALONG OLD KENT ROAD
Transport for London is aiming to start construction of an extension of the Bakerloo Line from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham in 2023. It hopes the extension could open in 2029. The Bakerloo Line Extension (BLE) would provide capacity for 65,000 extra journeys in the morning and evening peak, to help relieve congestion on local bus services and National Rail services in the area.
The aim is to coincide the extension’s opening with the Bakerloo Line’s upgrade under the Deep Tube programme, which is intended to introduce new trains and signalling across four lines. Timing will also be dictated by securing the necessary funding and powers and consents to construct the extension. Funds for the planning and design phase are included in TfL’s business plan – TfL says the strategy for funding the capital cost of the scheme will be further developed, maximising funding from all available sources and investigating further potential land value capture options.