New express ‘Bakerloop’ bus route to begin this autumn as further plans for an expansion of the Superloop network are revealed

The new 'Bakerloop' express bus route is set to be in service from this autumn, following positive feedback from Londoners in a recent consultation. 

The new express bus service will connect stations and areas mirroring the proposed Bakerloo Tube line extension route, running between Waterloo, Elephant & Castle and Lewisham via Burgess Park, Old Kent Road, New Cross Gate, Lewisham station and Lewisham town centre. Working alongside local councils and partners, the bus route will demonstrate the opportunities presented by the Bakerloo line extension to better connect people in southeast London. 

The consultation into the BL1 'Bakerloop' line route was launched by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, alongside local and pan-London stakeholders in January this year. The majority of feedback from residents and local stakeholders was positive and the proposals were widely supported, with many respondents stating that a new route BL1 would: 

• Be more convenient (82 per cent) 
• Result in a quicker bus journey time (79 per cent)
• Be used between a few days and every day per week (55 per cent) 

Following careful consideration of the feedback received, the route will be implemented with a modification in Lewisham town centre. A bus stop that was proposed on Station Road towards Waterloo will now be removed which will allow for a quicker and more direct route for the BL1 when leaving Lewisham. The route will run every 12 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 15 minutes during Sundays, evenings and early mornings increasing capacity along the whole route. 

The London boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark have shown support for the project, and, with them, TfL continues to develop plans for the Bakerloo line extension, including tunnel design, station designs and plans for a possible extension beyond Lewisham.

The Mayor and TfL continue to discuss with the Government how the Bakerloo line extension could be funded. The extension from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham would not only upgrade the existing line and connect a historically under-served part of London to the Tube network but would also unlock thousands of new homes and support new jobs and economic growth.

The new route will build on the success of the game-changing Superloop, a 194km network loop of express bus services that has transformed travel in outer London and added more than seven million kilometres per year to the capital's network.

Since the first Superloop was launched in June 2023, figures show there has been an 11 per cent average increase in passengers on all Superloop corridors (including parallel routes), which is nine per cent higher than the network average, proving it is already providing customers with quicker journey times to key town centres, hospitals, schools, and transport interchanges making sustainable bus travel a more popular option for people in outer London.

TfL continues to work at pace on plans to further expand the network and has revealed new plans for three further routes, which could bring the benefits of the network to even more people across the capital. These proposals will focus on busy corridors without direct rail links where Superloop can provide a step change in connectivity and journey times between key destinations. Subject to consultation, the next phase of the expansion would include a new SL13 service, travelling between Ealing Broadway and Hendon; a new SL14 service, travelling between Stratford bus station and Chingford Hatch; and a new SL15 service travelling between Clapham Junction and Eltham station. Consultations on these proposals are set to begin in autumn 2025. These plans will help to ensure buses continue to play a critical role in a green, healthy, and inclusive future for London, where more trips are made by public transport, walking and cycling, and fewer by private car.

Two other express routes are already in the works as part of the Superloop expansion programme. Consultations forming part of this initial phase of the expansion have just closed with feedback currently being analysed including SL11, which would run between Abbey Wood and North Greenwich, supporting regeneration plans in Thamesmead; and SL12, which would run between Rainham, Ferry Lane and Gants Hill, extending the Superloop network further into outer London. The two proposed routes would enable interchange with existing Superloop routes, with the SL11 connecting to the SL3 at Abbey Wood and Thamesmead, and the SL12 allowing easy interchange with SL2 at Gants Hill.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “The Mayor made a commitment to unleash a public transport revolution in outer London, and I'm delighted the introduction of the new Bakerloop express bus route will be delivered later this year, connecting stations, areas and communities between Waterloo and Lewisham.

“The feedback from Londoners to the new BL1 route has been overwhelmingly positive and builds on the continued success of the Superloop express bus services in London. It's also exciting that the new route mirrors the proposed Bakerloo Tube line extension route, which will better link central and southeast London. This important infrastructure is crucial to boosting transport links in London, unlocking job opportunities for Londoners and supporting the capital's growth as we build a better, fairer and more prosperous London for everyone. ”

Geoff Hobbs, TfL’s Director of Public Transport Service Planning, said: “It is great to see support for the ‘Bakerloop’ express bus running between Waterloo and Lewisham which would enable us to improve public transport connectivity and capacity between southeast London and central London by delivering some of the same benefits that the Bakerloo line extension would.

“We know from the success of the Superloop that express bus services are providing a hugely valuable way for Londoners to travel and from the feedback we received, we expect some passengers currently using other bus routes will take their journeys on the BL1 instead. As part of our continual review of the bus network, we will monitor all bus services so that they accurately reflect customer demand in the area. We will now progress work on launching this express bus route so that customers can start using it by autumn 2025.”

Mayor of Lewisham, Brenda Dacres, said: “Lewisham welcomes the launch of the Bakerloop bus and thanks the Mayor and TfL for taking action to address the long-standing transport gap in south east London. But this must be just the beginning. With growing public support, we will continue to press for the Bakerloo Line Upgrade and Extension - a game-changing project that will mean faster journeys and new opportunities for our community as well as thousands of homes, jobs and economic growth unlocked for the UK.” 

Councillor Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council, said: “The huge support from local people for the Bakerloop bus service is great to see and we all look forward to this bus making life easier for those who live and commute on the Old Kent Road. It is also a big step towards showing the impact the Bakerloo Line Extension can make. 

“Last month we found out that 76% of London’s residents and 89% of businesses in the capital support the plans to upgrade and extend the Bakerloo Line. If we can get this over the line it will boost the economy by £1.5 bn per year and help to support the delivery of 150,000 jobs across the full length of the line.” 

Dr. Polyvios Polyviou, Programme Director for Transport at BusinessLDN, said: “The launch of the Bakerloop promises to bring much-needed new transport links to underserved Londoners as we await delivery of a Bakerloo line extension. Improvements to bus services remain essential, especially in outer London, and long-term funding certainty for TfL is critical to ensure reliable, affordable transport across the capital. Wednesday’s Spending Review is the Chancellor’s opportunity to give TfL this certainty while backing a long-awaited extension to the Bakerloo Line, unlocking sites for thousands of homes, creating jobs around the UK, and spurring billions of pounds in new economic activity in the process.”