Bakerloo line extension to Lewisham open to public comment
Plans to extend the Bakerloo line to Lewisham will go under public scrutiny today.
Transport for London (TfL) began the 10-week public consultation on the extension today, welcoming comment from people on the route and the required works to implement the new route.
TfL is planning to extend the Bakerloo line from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham via stations on Old Kent Road and in New Cross Gate.
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A possible future extension to Hayes and Beckenham Junction, Bromley, are also a part of the plans.
Details on works to merge the entrances for the Northern and Baerkloo lines at Elephant & Castle station, and the location of potential new tunnel routes have been laid bare in the publicly released documents.
The plans will create 5000 new jobs, according to TfL.
Alex Williams, TfL’s Director of City Planning, said the extension could cater for 60,000 extra journeys in the morning and off-peak periods.
“This consultation will help us further shape our plans for the Bakerloo line extension which will play a vital part in supporting London’s population growth,” he said.
Mayor of Lewisham Damien Egan said: “The Bakerloo line extension would be transformational for Lewisham residents, providing better connectivity to the city and helping to deliver thousands of new social homes and jobs across the borough.”
The proposed Bakerloo extension is one of several plans drawn up by TfL to expand London’s public transport networks.
Others in the pipeline include the Northern line extension to Battersea, the DLR extension to Thamestead and the Crossrail and Crossrail 2 projects.
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The planned new routes and extensions are set to help TfL keep up with London’s projected population growth rate.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics suggest the capital’s population will increase by 10 per cent between 2016 and 2026.