Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed when the public will be consulted on the Bakerloo line extension. According to agenda papers set to be discussed at TfL's board meeting next Tuesday (May 26), Londoners will be asked for their views on the proposed London Underground expansion between December 2026 and February 2027.
The annual report on delivering the Mayor of London's transport strategy states that the consultation will take place once ongoing feasibility studies are completed. Current estimates indicate that construction of the first phase—from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham, with stops at Burgess Park, Old Kent Road, and New Cross Gate—will begin in the 2030s and be completed by 2040.
There is also the possibility of future extensions to Hayes and Beckenham Junction after this phase is finished. Mayor Sadiq Khan believes the new route along the Old Kent Road corridor, which he describes as "historically under-served" by public transport, will support the construction of more than 20,000 new homes and create 5,000 jobs.
The proposed route has already been safeguarded for future delivery by the Department for Transport. Last year, the Bakerloo line upgrade and the construction of the West London Orbital—a proposed London Overground line along underused freight railway between Hendon and Hounslow—faced a setback when they were overlooked in the Government's November budget.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves instead opted to back the DLR extension to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead, slated to open in 2033. Following this, Khan told MyLondon he would explore "innovative funding" to pay for both projects. Although City Hall has yet to confirm exactly how this will work, past examples such as the Northern line extension to Battersea Power Station saw taxes and levies placed on nearby homes and businesses set to benefit from the new transport link.
Earlier this year, the Mayor confirmed that the Bakerloo line's 54-year-old train fleet will be replaced ahead of the extension. Expenditure plans suggest the project will begin this year before ramping up in 2028, when £348 million is invested in the scheme. This appears to coincide with the end of investment in the current Piccadilly line and DLR fleet replacements, both entering service in 2026 and 2027.
In the 12 months from April, TfL will invest £24 million into the scheme, rising to £156 million the following year, £348 million in 2028/29, and £456 million in 2029/2030.
