Labour councils call for Bakerloo line funding

Four Labour London council leaders have renewed their calls for the government to commit cash to deliver the upgrade and extension of the Bakerloo line.

Trains on the 119-year-old line could run every two minutes under Transport for London (TfL) plans to upgrade and extend the Tube route.

The proposals, which depend on government funding, would allow 27 trains an hour to run on the line, seven more than the current 20.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said TfL got £500m in additional funding at the Budget last October and the government was "still assessing the challenging financial position it faces" before committing any further funding.

The leaders of Brent, Lewisham, Southwark and Westminster councils said Chancellor Rachel Reeves should commit to deliver the transport project in the upcoming 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and secure initial funding for the scheme in the Spending Review, both expected in June.

Brenda Dacres, mayor of Lewisham, said: "For too long south-east London has been excluded from the world-class London Underground network and the benefits of being a well-connected inner London borough.

"With Lewisham wages nearly 40% lower on average than neighbouring boroughs, the Bakerloo line extension would be a game-changer for unlocking inclusive growth and opportunities, not just in the South East, but across the UK."

Kieron Williams, leader of Southwark Council, said the Bakerloo extension was a "shovel-ready project" which would create thousands of jobs and boost economic growth by £1.5bn.

The first phase of the proposed extension—which TfL is currently conducting feasibility studies for—would see new Tube stations at the Old Kent Road and Burgess Park in Southwark.

The line would then continue to New Cross Gate and Lewisham.

The second phase would take the Bakerloo line beyond Lewisham to Hayes and Beckenham Junction.

As part of the planned revamp of the London Underground route, the Bakerloo line's 53-year-old trains would be replaced.

The planned upgrade would support 150,000 jobs in Goole, East Yorkshire—where the new trains would be built—under the current TfL proposals.

About 107,000 new homes are predicted to be built around the new Tube stations in London, if the project goes ahead.

Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said without the government's commitment, the Bakerloo line was "at risk of total failure".

Of the ageing Underground line's current 25 stations, 10 are in Brent.

A DfT spokesperson said: "Further funding for London's transport network is being considered as part of the upcoming Spending Review."

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