Fair fares: journeys on the Bakerloop will be free for its first week of service
Transport for London is offering a week’s worth of free bus travel on the Bakerloop, a new express service connecting Waterloo to Lewisham.
From Saturday September 27 until Saturday October 4, you can travel the Bakerloop for free and see how this new bus route could transform your day-to-day travel.
BL1, the Bakerloop, is the latest part of the Superloop network of express bus routes that have been rolled out since 2023. There are 10 Superloop routes that orbit (mainly) outer London, with the circuit completed this year when the SL4 started service with the opening of the Silvertown tunnel.
Croydon is served by three Superloop routes: the SL5 to Bromley, the SL7 to Heathrow Airport and the peak hours SL6 to Russell Square.
The BL1 runs from Waterloo, via the Elephant and Castle, down the Old Kent Road to New Cross and then to Lewisham – much as London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan would like to see the Bakerloo Tube line extended into south-east London.
The new bus route, using electric buses that are painted brown, like the Tube line, will run every 12 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 15 minutes on Sundays, offering “a faster, greener and more convenient journey”, according to Transport for London.
“Working alongside local councils and partners, the bus route showcases the potential of the Bakerloo line extension to better connect historically underserved parts of the city,” TfL said today.
BL1 is part-funded by Southwark Council, using £5million of Community Investment Levy money received from developers working in the Old Kent Road area.
The BL1 buses offer “enhanced customer features” including USB chargers at seats and dedicated priority seating moquettes.
TfL, alongside Lewisham and Southwark councils, “continues to develop plans for the Bakerloo line extension, including tunnel design, station designs and plans for a possible extension beyond Lewisham”. This latter extension offers a prospect of a Tube connection to the Croydon tram network at Beckenham Junction.
New route: how the BL1, the Bakerloop, will provide an electric express route from Waterloo to Lewisham, via the Elephant and New Cross
The Mayor of London’s economic argument is that the Tube extension would unlock thousands of new homes and support new jobs and economic growth. “Discussions with the government and stakeholders are ongoing about how this important infrastructure could be delivered in the future,” TfL said today.
Southwark Council contributed significant Section 106 funding of over £5 million to delivery of the BL1, the investment sourced from developer contributions in the Old Kent Road area.
BL1 brings the Superloop bus network to more than 240 miles. “Plans are now in place to expand the network even further, ensuring 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,” TfL said.
Routes having been given the go-ahead or under consideration include the SL11 between Abbey Wood and North Greenwich and the SL12 between Gants Hill and Ferry Lane in Rainham via Romford, both due to operate from 2026, and the SL13, between Ealing Broadway and Hendon, the SL14, between Stratford and Chingford Hatch, and SL15 between Clapham Junction and Eltham.
Mayor Sir Sadiq, pictured left, having dismissed ludicrous, mendacious untruths from a deranged orange baby about his wanting to introduce Sharia Law to London, instead today introduced a new bus route to the city he says is the greatest in the world.
“I’m proud to unveil the Bakerloop – a brand-new, express electric bus service linking communities from Waterloo to Lewisham,” said the Mayor of London.
“A Bakerloo line extension will take years to build, and I don’t want to wait any longer to improve transport connections for Londoners. That’s why I’ve introduced the Bakerloop now – a faster, greener service, building on the success of the Superloop, that delivers the links people need immediately, while showcasing just how transformative the Bakerloo line extension could be for our city and economy.”
Passengers on the Bakerloop in its first week of service will still need to tap in with an Oyster card or other payment device, when they will be charged a fare of £0.00.
Read more: SuperLoop route to Heathrow will continue to serve Croydon
Read more: China-made electric buses introduced on Croydon SL5 route
Read more: Not so superloopy about our Superloop route into London
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