TfL rules out Lewisham Way Bakerloo station

According to 853, TfL has ruled out the idea of incorporating a St John's or Lewisham Way station into the Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham, which will open next decade.

I had no idea this was even thought a possibility, but now it isn't. Which makes more sense. However, 853 notes:

[TfL says] that existing plans to build stations at New Cross Gate and Lewisham will provide sufficient coverage for nearby areas of Deptford and Brockley.

But, according to its latest consultation documents, TfL is now considering building a station at Bricklayers Arms on the Tube extension, which would run from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham with two stops on the Old Kent Road and one at New Cross Gate. This follows two local petitions in the area.

TfL also says it is confident the existing bus interchange at Lewisham will be able to cope with the new route. TfL has been responding to issues raised in a consultation carried last year into the extension, which looked at station locations, sites where tunnelling shafts will be located, and plans to have the tracks run as far as the current Lewisham Council depot at Wearside Road.

Bricklayers Arms needs all the help it can get.

For the full details of what isn't happening, click here.

Thanks to JPM for the heads-up.

1,400 new homes planned for New Cross Sainsbury's car park site

Outline plans have been developed to create between 1,000 and 1,500 new homes on the site of the New Cross Gate Sainsbury's.

Estates Gazette reports:

"Mount Anvil and Hyde Group have teamed up with Sainsbury’s to develop a scheme with a possible end value of £600m next to the Bakerloo Line extension at New Cross Gate.

"The pair are the preferred bidders for a potential 1,400- home redevelopment of the seven-acre site. They will form a joint venture with the retailer to rebuild the supermarket with thousands of flats above and alongside it...

"The site has previously had scoping proposals submitted for a scheme of around 400 homes... Mount Anvil has provided affordable percentages of around 35% on a number of its London schemes, including the 308-home Lexicon on City Road and its Dollar Bay scheme, which had an off-site commitment equating to 46% affordable."

The site is also the subject of a consultation regarding the possible location of a Bakerloo Line station, when the tube is extended to New Cross and Lewisham, but Sainsbury's says that the two projects are unconnected. David Mills, Head of Property Communications at Sainsbury's explains:

"We are working on plans with Mount Anvil and Hyde which will deliver new homes and an improved store, as well as act as a springboard for further investment in the area. We will be sharing our plans with the local community before submitting an application. The Bakerloo Line extension does not facilitate the development, this is something we will bring forward as a joint venture with our development partners.

"TfL have put forward a consultation document which identifies a new station on our land. We are continuing to discuss this with them, including other potential locations in the area for the station."

The fact that the Bakerloo Line will eventually connect with this site, relieving pressure on the East London Line and overland services, makes a scheme of this size more politically viable.

Nine Elms serves as a precedent for a large-format store as part of a mixed-use development

Sainsbury's are also keen to point out that the new supermarket will be of equivalent size to the existing store and point to the recent scheme in Nine Elms as an example of what could be delivered here. Mills adds:

"Our plans will deliver a new supermarket that offers the full Sainsbury’s range. We would make sure that there is continuity of trade as we redevelop the site.

"We’ve been delivering mixed-use schemes since 2009 and have recently opened new stores at Nine Elms and Fulham."

With thanks to Monkeyboy and 853Blog for the link.

Bakerloo station could lurk beneath Sainsbury's

TfL has launched its consultation for the Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham and has revealed its preferred site for the New Cross stop lies underneath the enormous Sainsbury's car park, next to New Cross Gate station. They say:

"We propose to build a new station at New Cross Gate and have identified a preferred site. This is shown on the map below. The station would be below ground along the western side of the existing rail station. It would improve connectivity in this part of London by providing an interchange to London Overground, National Rail services and local bus routes.

"The size of the proposed site provides several opportunities for the project. It could allow soil to be taken away by train rather than using local roads. We could also start the tunnel machinery from this site."

TfL's plans also require a new shaft on Lewisham Way, opposite the Arthouse.

 

And they've cleared up the mystery of how a new station at Lewisham can be built among the planned new towers, which has been dogging BCers for some time. They have come up with the novel idea of putting it underground. The consultation notes:

"Our preferred site for the Bakerloo line station at Lewisham is shown on the map below.

"The station would be located on Thurston Road along the south western side of the existing National Rail station. It would improve connectivity by providing an interchange to National Rail and DLR services and access to the town centre.

"Extending to Lewisham would also provide an interchange to buses, helping to increase Lewisham’s role as a major transport hub in south east London."

The consultation papers note that the Sainsbury's could be taken out of action during the construction phase.

Bakerloo Extension: TfL to launch consultation on NXG and Lewisham tube stations

TfL will launch a public consultation later this year as part of detailed planning for the Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham. The public will be asked to comment on plans for new tube stations in New Cross Gate and Lewisham.

A paper published in December states:

Following an initial public consultation on a proposed Bakerloo line extension (BLE) in autumn 2014 and a subsequent assessment of possible route options, an extension to Lewisham via the Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate has been identified as the preferred option. A second public consultation is now proposed as the next step towards delivering the BLE. The delivery of this extension was included in the Mayor’s manifesto and would support the delivery of significant numbers of new homes and jobs for London.

The consultation exercise would start in early 2017 and run for ten weeks. It would engage with the public and stakeholders on the options for locations of stations and ventilation/intervention shafts including the worksites at each. The consultation will include the relevant local authorities as well as engagement with stakeholders and landowners of sites affected.

The consultation will provide the opportunity for responses on each of the following parts of the route:

(a) Elephant and Castle station – an upgraded ticket hall and platform concourse is required to accommodate extension demand
(b) Old Kent Road 1 station – a new Tube station in the northern area of the Old Kent Road to serve the growth cluster in this part of the Opportunity Area
(c) Old Kent Road 2 station – a new Tube station in the southern area of the Old Kent Road to serve the second growth cluster in the Opportunity Area
(d) New Cross Gate station – a new Tube station providing interchange to the London Overground and National Rail services at the existing station
(e) Lewisham station – a new Tube station providing interchange to the National Rail and DLR services at the existing station
(f) Ventilation and intervention shafts – three shafts are proposed, one between Elephant and Castle and Old Kent Road 1 stations, one between New Cross Gate and Lewisham stations, and one at the line end overrun tunnels beyond Lewisham station

This provisional work indicates circa £1bn could be raised from [a range of sources including commercial development of the station sites, increased fare receipts, business rate levies, etc], covering roughly a third of the scheme costs. This is a positive start and we will further develop the approach to maximising funding from all available sources and investigating further potential land value capture options. As is common for infrastructure projects of this size and scale the funding for construction of the BLE will outlined in future revision of the TfL Business Plan.

Thank you to Monkeyboy for sending the details.

TfL reiterates support for Bakerloo extension in Khan era

Sadiq Khan has signalled that his mayoralty remains committed to the Bakerloo Line extension through New Cross and Lewisham. In TfL's recently-published annual report, the project gets its own double page spread, which says:

Work has started on building a case to extend the Bakerloo line into southeast London. If the Government gives the project the green light, we expect to begin construction in 2024. 

In 2015, we assessed possible routes. This meant taking into account how each option could improve connectivity and housing, the engineering feasibility (for example, tunnelling, which is complex and expensive, must be kept to a minimum), how swiftly the project can be completed, and the likelihood that it could be paid for. 

Our assessment showed that a route from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham, via Old Kent Road, would offer significant development opportunities, including up to 30,000 new homes. This could, in turn, help with the costs of building the extension, by securing contributions from new residential and commercial developments along the line. 

Ending the route at Lewisham means we can build the extension quickly and cost effectively, hopefully completing the project by 2030. And this doesn’t rule out extending the line even further in the future.

The Bakerloo extension was one of Khan's election commitments and this is simply more fine words, rather than action, but thanks to Monkeyboy for sharing this red meat nonetheless.

TfL: Brockley link improvements not linked to Bakerloo Line extension

Brockley's development "interchange hub" could relate to the creation of a new orbital link

When news broke that TfL would be proceeding with plans for a Bakerloo Line extension to New Cross and Lewisham by 2030, I reported the accompanying news that Brockley Station was being considered as some sort of transport "hub" as a bit of an afterthought.

BCer Monkeyboy is not so easily distracted by shiny brown baubles and has been doing a bit of digging about what an "interchange hub" could actually be. He's elicited this snippet from TfL, who have confirmed that while the plans are in their infancy, it would be implemented independently of the Bakerloo project. They say:

The potential interchange at Brockley is currently an unfunded and uncommitted scheme and no detailed plans exist at present. However, we have identified the potential new interchange hub as an option for improving rail connectivity in south east London and as a complimentary scheme to a potential Bakerloo line extension to Lewisham. We do not consider the option to be dependent on the proposed Bakerloo line extension so yes it is possible that the hub could be implemented independently.

Along with the other potential long term wider region rail improvements  included in the Summary Report, we are working with stakeholders and partners, including Network Rail,  to undertake further assessment of their benefits and feasibility.

Given that Brockley's links to London Bridge and on the East London Line will reach their current limits when a couple more ELL trains are squeezed on to our line in 2018, it's likely that TfL's ideas relate to the reopening of the upper line platform as part of a new orbital link, connecting Brockley with Lewisham and Peckham and beyond.

Brockley Station earmarked for more trains

 

As a sidenote to its Bakerloo extension plans, TfL adds that Brockley could become one of three new South London "interchange hubs", benefiting from an improved station and more frequent train services. The document notes:

Along with working with Network Rail on their long-term planning process, we will undertake further work on rail improvements for south London. This work will identify where strategic interchanges could be created to maximise the connectivity benefits, including those arising from the extension, to improve orbital and radial travel. 

The work will consider the scope for upgrading existing strategic interchanges such as Lewisham, to deliver faster and more attractive interchanges. Identifying whether more rail services can stop at interchange points on the network, including those along the extension for journeys in and out of central London to reduce pressure on the busy London rail termini, will also be investigated.

BCer Monkeyboy, who flagged the news, says:

"This may be related to whether TfL gain control over Southern services and increase services."

It may also be a reference to the mooted orbital route to Peckham and beyond.

Bakerloo extension work to start in 2016

TfL has now confirmed that it will begin "technical work" on the extension of the Bakerloo Line in 2016. That means they will start thinking how best to operate and deliver it by 2030 - a significant advance on "we're thinking about it", which was TfL's position until this week.

The TfL consultation paper indicates that the Bakerloo would stop at New Cross Gate and confirms that it will travel down the Old Kent Road and terminate at Lewisham, rather than ploughing on to Hayes, via Ladywell and Catford. The factor that gave the Old Kent Road victory over Camberwell and Peckham was the number of new homes that the former route would facilitate. TfL says:

"Our assessment shows that an extension via the Old Kent Road route would provide significant new capacity in a corridor lacking reliable, high capacity and frequent public transport. Reliance on bus travel through the corridor is currently impacted by highways congestion.

"The Old Kent Road would go from having zero capacity on rail to capacity for approximately 65,000 passengers in each direction between Old Kent Road, New Cross Gate and Lewisham per three-hour AM peak period...

"Splitting the extension along both branches [OKR and Camberwell] to Lewisham would significantly reduce the frequency and capacity of the service that could operate along each branch. This would reduce the growth potential that could be unlocked in the Old Kent Road Opportunity Area and also risk crowding on either branch due to the lower capacity. In addition, the lower growth potential would reduce the extent to which the higher cost of a two-branch extension could be part-funded by new development."

Labour London Assembly Member for Greenwich and Lewisham, Len Duvall AM said:

“TfL’s latest commitment to the Bakerloo Line extension is very welcome and will significantly improve the commute for countless South Londoners. It is clear however that to have the biggest impact the Bakerloo Line extension needs to go far further than currently planned.

“In 2018 TfL will have the chance to bid to take over the South Eastern franchise and to the take over the trains running into Central London from Bromley & Lewisham. This could have a transformative impact for South Londoners and bring significant improvements to the service they are given even before the extension has started work.”

The Lib Dems' Caroline Pidgeon said:

"While welcoming this announcement I am concerned that the initial proposals merely have the ‘potential’ to extend beyond Lewisham. We need to be truly ambitious and ensure that the Bakerloo Line connects right through to Bromley. Firmer assurances are also need about a new Thameslink station at Camberwell.”

TfL favours Old Kent Road Bakerloo

SE1 reports that TfL Commissioner Mike Brown has indicated a preference for the Bakerloo Line to be extended to Lewisham via the Old Kent Road, rather than Camberwell. Sounding exactly like a BC editorial on the subject, Brown writes:

"The results of our work demonstrate that the preferred route option for a first phase is from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham via Old Kent Road.

"Any extension would also be supported by significant improvements to the national rail network in southeast London, including the possibility of a new Thameslink station at Camberwell.

"This route alignment could support up to 30,000 homes and subject to funding and securing powers could be completed by 2030."

It sounds as though the plan to extend it beyond Lewisham by sacrificing overland services is on ice.

TfL responds to Bakerloo consultation

TfL has published its response to their public consultation about the southern extension of the Bakerloo Line. There are few surprises in their responses, but the tone of the document suggests that the project is definitely on, one way or another, with the 2030 the likely opening date.

Perhaps most surprising is that there are actually members of the public who oppose the plan on the basis that "Southeast London already has adequate transport links." Besides this revelation, there are few interesting titbits in their answers:

Lewisham's population is expected to grow much faster than Bromley and by more than Southwark:

The growth forecasts mean the boroughs along the consulted extension options will see the following changes in population and jobs by 2036:

- Southwark: 62,000 more jobs and 62,000 more residents
- Lewisham: 20,000 more jobs and 65,000 more residents
- Bromley: 16,000 more jobs and 53,000 more residents

The route might end at Lewisham, at least initially

The consulted routes included various options for terminus points. TfL is currently undertaking further work to understand whether a phased approach could be taken and what the advantages and disadvantages could be.

Of the options TfL consulted on, only an extension beyond Lewisham, to Hayes and Beckenham Junction, would directly impact National Rail services.

If funding for a full extension cannot be found, TfL might seek to undertake a phased approach as a shorter extension may be cheaper, less complex and potentially quicker to deliver and work could continue to identify how a further extension beyond an initial phase could be funded and delivered.

The Old Kent Road route would be faster and cheaper

For journeys beyond New Cross Gate, to and from central London, Option 1a (via the Old Kent Road), may provide a greater reduction in journey time than Option 1b (via Camberwell) as the route is expected to be shorter. Newly built stations, in areas without existing rail services, could also deliver faster journeys for many people and connect them to new destinations.

Option 1b is currently expected to be a longer extension and is therefore currently expected to be more expensive to build than Option 1a.

Bakerloo consultation produces massive yes vote

TfL has published the results of its recent consultation about the proposed southern extension of the Bakerloo Line via Lewisham. It found that:

- The vast majority of South East Londoners want it to happen (96% of respondents)

- There is an overwhelming consensus that South East London is relatively poorly served by public transport

- That the route proposed for the more populated, more middle-class area (Camberwell / Peckham Rye - 64%) received more public support than the route through a designated regeneration area, currently populated by warehouses and car lots (Old Kent Road - 49%)

A useful exercise, we can surely all agree.


In amongst the statements of the obvious, there are one or two interesting findings, including that there is marginally more support for the line to stop in Bromley than in Beckenham and Hayes and little appetite for it to end in Lewisham.

The most telling result was that this consultation produced one of the highest turnouts in TfL history, despite the project's modest scope, underlining how much of a no-brainer this is.

Next steps: Get on with it.

Thanks to everyone who sent this to us.

TfL Commissioner: Bakerloo extension could be running by 2030

BC's prediction is that the Bakerloo line extension south to Lewisham will come a decade sooner than originally predicted and will be operational by 2030.

Our reasoning has been that it is cheap and easy to deliver (by the standards of London transport schemes), has obvious regeneration benefits and will cause minimal disruption. For these reasons, we think it will get bumped up the priority list by TfL. SE1 now reports:

Transport for London commissioner Sir Peter Hendy has said that a southern extension of the Bakerloo line could be completed within the next 15 years - a decade earlier than City Hall predicated last summer.

Hendy told a TfL board meeting: "Work is under way to update key elements of the costs, refresh the business case, and investigate a number of alternative route options suggested via the consultation. Subject to feasibility, funding and powers, an extension could be delivered by 2030."

With thanks to Monkeyboy for the spot.

Standard fare for Bakerloo Line

Property journalists - their boosterism makes BC look coy. Today's Evening Standard has got in as quickly to the Bakerloo bonanza as it advises its readers to.

Today's Homes & Property section predicts that South East London will be transformed by the Bakerloo Line extension, which is coming sooner rather than later and highlights New Cross and Lewisham as being among the biggest beneficiaries of its brown beneficence. The paper says:

South-east London is already seeing a surge of interest as homebuyers and renters wake up to its lower prices and good commuter links to the City and Canary Wharf. Now, [the Bakerloo Line] is set to be the capital’s next major Tube upgrade.

Analysis by estate agent Winkworth shows a marked population shift to south-east London. “The first wave was triggered by the arrival of the Overground three years ago, and the Bakerloo line extension will accelerate the trend.”

New Cross Gate is set to be a big Bakerloo line beneficiary This transport interchange is already plugged into the Overground and also offers five-minute trains to London Bridge, a fast Thameslink service to Gatwick and a one-stop connection to the Jubilee line. For many years the area’s only two attractions were Goldsmiths College, where Damien Hirst studied fine art, and The Venue, a lively nightclub. But things are changing.

Young singles and couples — not just public sector key workers, but Canary Wharf and City types too — are finding homes. Families are settling here as well. One sought-after pocket is Telegraph Hill conservation area, perched at the top of a slope and offering wide tree-lined roads, great views, two parks, a community café and Haberdashers’ Aske’s school, one of the most oversubscribed state secondaries in London.

Lewisham is in the throes of a town centre makeover, bringing hundreds of new homes, a modern transport interchange, a new shopping mall and pedestrian-friendly public spaces.

Catford and Lewisham are almost joined at the hip, with barely half a mile between the two town centres. For decades, Catford’s main draw was its Greyhound Stadium, now being redeveloped into a 588-home quarter called Catford Green, right alongside the proposed Bakerloo line station.

96% of Londoners say get on with the Bakerloo Line extension

An easy question, with a resounding answer. Does everyone want a southern extension of the Bakerloo Line? Yes. Yes, we do.

The public consultation is now over and the margin of victory for the yes camp is on a par with the referendum asking the Falkland Islanders asking them if they want to remain a UK Overseas Territory.

TfL says:

Initial analysis shows that over 90% of the 14,200 responses* support the principle of an extension into southeast London. 96% of respondents indicated they either ‘strongly support’ or ‘support’, in principle, the extension of the Bakerloo line into southeast London from its current end point at Elephant & Castle.

Matthew Yates, Head of Transport Planning & Projects, spoke about what happens next: "Over the coming months we are reviewing the case for the proposed extension including the different route options and possible station locations. We are also carrying out further environmental, planning and engineering studies and examining funding options."

Looking to the future, Matthew said: "It is still early days in the planning of this project but if progressed, and subject to funding and necessary powers, construction of this extension could start as early as 2023 and be open during the 2030’s."

We're not going to say that we are wiser than Jesus and Confucius put together - that is for others to say - but when we started writing about the consultation, the official line was that it wouldn't start operating until 2040. We said: "the smart money is on this project being brought forward by a decade or so, as South East London transport overheats." Now, they're talking about work starting in eight years.

Thanks to Monkeyboy for the tip-off.

London Assembly Committee backs Bakerloo Line extension

The Transport Committee of the London Assembly has announced its support for the Bakerloo Line extension to South East London, but has shamelessly copped out of backing one of the proposed routes (the Old Kent Road) over the other (Camberwell).

The letter, which you can read here, argues that whichever route is chosen, the loser should get some form of compensation (they specifically say they are not asking for compensation, but that's exactly what they are doing) in terms of alternative connections. The fact that they suggest reopening the Camberwell Thameslink station suggests they think the OKR route will be chosen.

So, another little step forward for the Bakerloo project, more momentum and more fence-sitting from politicians with one eye on the upcoming London election.

Monkeyboy, who sent us this news and who is something of a railways expert, reckons Crossrail 2 will get built before the Bakerloo. Brockley Central, who knows nothing about nothing, reckons that the Bakerloo extension will get built first. Who will win? Come back in 20 years to find out.

National Infrastructure Plan namechecks Bakerloo and Rotherhithe bridge

An email from Southwark MP Simon Hughes provides more evidence that the Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham is moving steadily up the transport agenda. There's also an encouraging nod towards the idea of a bridge at Rotherhithe. He writes:

In today's National Infrastructure Plan (page 52), the government has signalled its interest in a Bakerloo Line extension and a new Brunel Bridge from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf.

As you will know, I have been fighting for these two projects to be given the go-ahead in recent times, and it is very satisfying to know that the government is supportive of both of them. We are now a step closer to delivering these essential projects.

In the plan, the government commit to a "full options appraisal of potential major transport projects in London, including an extension of the Bakerloo line and the devolution of South Eastern rail services to London."

The plan also says that "An interesting proposal made by Sustrans, and worth looking at in more detail, would be a new pedestrian and cycle bridge from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf – which could be called the Brunel Bridge in tribute to one of the great figures in the history of UK infrastructure.

It's not much, but it's more evidence that both bridge and tunnel are coming soon. With thanks to Monkeyboy for the tip-off.

Complete the danged Bakerloo line

The Old Kent Road. A death row of increasingly-redundant large format stores, bookended east and west by Domino's Pizza.

A road built to serve cars in a city that passed peak-car a decade ago. A place of vast empty car parks and van storage yards, which houses, pleases and employs very few. A spectacularly grotesque waste of central London - and the only one of the cheap streets on the Monopoly Board that's still cheap.

While regeneration slowly creeps along Jamaica Road through Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, the Old Kent Road serves as a vast grey-brown ligature that restricts the flow of capital, energy and talent from the centre of London south east. With Vauxhall and the Elephant & Castle at last being razed and rebuilt, the OKR remains as the North London bigot's best argument against South London - a place where people are rarely seen, except bunched at crossings or hanging from doorways.

The Old Kent Road is also one of London's designated "opportunity areas". But it's a public transport desert and without new links, that opportunity won't materialise.

So why are we consulting about whether the Bakeloo Line should travel down it or go via Camberwell? This shouldn't even be a question. If the Old Kent Road was in North London, there would have been a Cobra meeting about it by now. Given that the extension will need to be part-funded from levies on developers along its route, the Old Kent Road is the best chance of getting the project paid for - the part of the journey where most development is possible.

Make the decision today, start work tomorrow. Forget about the Hayes extension if that's going to hold things up. In a city where brownfield is a precious commodity, the Old Kent Road represents a dereliction of duty on the part of our politicians.

#Bakernooisham - southern extension consultation launches today

TfL's public consultation on the southern extension of the Bakerloo Line opens later today. The options for the line, include a route via Camberwell and Peckham or a route via the Old Kent Road with both routes converging on New Cross Gate and then on to Ladywell and Catford. Mayorwatch reports:

Michèle Dix, TfL’s Managing Director of Planning, has also said the line could be connected with the rail line to Hayes “which would mean existing rail services would no longer operate on this line, but the Bakerloo line would operate instead.”

A further option allows for the line to be extended to Beckenham Junction to connect with the Tramlink or Bromley town centre.

Lewisham Labour has launched an opportunistic petition, calling for the line to come to Lewisham, which seems a little redundant, other than as a way of getting some reflected glory for the project, when it comes. They're also studiously avoiding mentioning which route they prefer, lest they upset anyone, but it seems fairly obvious that they would favour the New Cross route, on the basis of its regeneration potential.

However, they deserve some credit for making the case for the line over the last few years and for coining the natty name Bakerlooisham (which should of course be #Bakernooisham).

The new line is slated to begin operating in 2040, but the smart money is on this project being brought forward by a decade or so, as South East London transport overheats.

Click here to take part in the consultation.

Bakerloo consultation starts on September 29th with Southwark lobbying for Brockley route

Southwark news site SE1 reports that the public consultation for the southern extension of the Bakerloo Line will begin on September 29th, with the Mayor urging "south-east London boroughs to "come to the party" with their ideas." Southwark Council leader Peter John is campaigning for the line to go via Camberwell, Peckham and thus Brockley. SE1 site reports:

"[Boris said] We're looking for interest, we're looking to hear about development potential, about funding packages we can put together with business to support a scheme that has a lot of government interest. We really need the boroughs to come to the party and say how they will help us to finance it."

Mr Johnson's comments come in the same week that Southwark Council Leader Peter John was quizzed about the tube plans by a cross-party committee of councillors.

"TfL are going to be putting two options- the Old Kent Road option and the Camberwell option – on the table. My primary argument has always been for Camberwell and Peckham, and the commitment I got from the Mayor a couple of years ago was that he would extend the Bakerloo line in that direction.

"I remain hopeful that that is something that TfL will continue to look at extremely seriously. [However] It's more difficult to see how funding generated from the delivery of the tube to Camberwell and Peckham would deliver the same potential financial gain as you would see running down the Old Kent Road,"

Click here for the full article.

Brockley Bakerloo line revealed

The News Shopper has found this TfL-designed tube map, which shows the tube network, following the southern extension of the Bakerloo Line, earmarked for completion in 2040.

Aside from the fact that it's nice to dream, the map is helpful in that it confirms that Brockley would be served if the line goes via Camberwell. This would be achieved by reopening the high level station, which runs perpendicularly to the East London Line. A direct tube link to neighbouring locations like Peckham and Lewisham would be terrifically useful, even without the extra connectivity to central London.

A public consultation on this project is due to start later this year.