The Bakerloop

 TfL's financial status these days is no secret, with increasingly constrained budgets and a reduction in money coming in over the past few years there is a real challenge to ensure that TfL continue to have enough money to stay afloat and provide to the transport needs of the average Londoner. 

Today's post focuses on the Bakerloop, the latest route addition to TfL's network of buses that operate in the capital. The route is called the BL1, running between Waterloo and Lewisham.

But why is this called the Bakerloop? Why not just another standard Superloop route? Well this story runs a lot deeper. This starts with the Bakerloo Line, the Underground line running between Harrow & Wealdstone and Elephant & Castle, identified by the brown colour on the tube map. It currently operates with 1972 stock and its stations and the entire line itself has grown famous among Londoners for its somewhat unique state of care. Some people like the fact it's a time capsule, although many people also do not like the fact that the line still looks like it was last touched in 1972, especially when you've had lines like the Elizabeth Line open since then which are effectively an entire world away. The line is also a relatively short one, only starting in Zone 1 at Elephant & castle as opposed to running through Zone 1 and out of the other end. This has made it a prime target for an extension. It is well known that in the UK if you build an infrastructure project then it rapidly gains popularity. The Elizabeth Line and Northern Line extensions are prime examples of this, so an extension of the Bakerloo Line has been proposed from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham. Although TfL's funding constraints mean that this is not something currently funded but merely exists as an idea. 

TfL is likely going to need to find such funding somewhere, but in the meantime there was no reason that the links could not be started by bus! The Superloop network had proven the concept of express bus routes over the past year and a Lewisham to Waterloo service to link with the Bakerloo Line was effectively a no brainer, so much so that Mayor of London Sadiq Khan turned this into a manifesto pledge. Following a successful 2024 election campaign the new proposed route was put up for tender and Go Ahead were the successful bidder with the BL1 to start operation out of Waterloo (RA) garage. The route was to start on the 27th of September 2025 running express between Lewisham and Waterloo Station.

The buses were going to bear a livery similar to the one already seen on existing Superloop routes, although some livery inspirations were also drawn from the Bakerloo line and its existing identity. Go Ahead had won the contract using existing buses, so these were cascaded down from Northumberland Park's (NP) route 230 which had got a newer batch of electrics which allowed its older batch to go off and get refurbished for the BL1. This refurbishment saw them fitted with brand new LED destination displays replacing the old roller blinds that the buses used to have. The existing Go Ahead London moquette was also removed and replaced with two variations of the 'Barman' moquette which is found across multiple London Underground lines. One of them is identical to the seating moquette found on the Bakerloo Line's 1972 stock trains, but the priority seats have a blue variation of these to help them stand out to passengers indicating their difference. 

Publicity has also been put up at all stops on the Bakerloop route network. This is very similar to the existing Superloop branding at stops, although instead of a route tile on the stops in red, they are brown to lean into the existing Bakerloo Line brown theme. As the route is still a part of the Superloop network, the route is limited stop many stops are skipped on the route, with passengers travelling between these stops expected to take routes like the 21, 53 and 453. The stops served include Lewisham Centre, Lewisham Clock Tower, Lewisham Station, New Cross Gate Station, Old Kent Road/Ilderton Road, Burgess Park/Dunton Road, Elephant & Castle and Waterloo Station.

Initial impressions of the route show an already growing user base, with passengers using the faster links that this route provides. The route itself doesn't do anything new apart from a link to Waterloo that Lewisham previously never had by bus, but already had by train. Although I have to admit my favourite part of the route is using the Bricklayer's Arms flyover to avoid all the traffic down below and seeing the roundabout below you, alongside the added benefit that you don't have to wait in any of it! The route otherwise is unremarkable, just plodding up and down the Old Kent Road, but its existence is a testament to how faster journeys can attract users from an already established user base, new links don't always need to be provided but existing ones being improved will always be welcomed by everyone!

There is another phase of Superloop routes currently being consulted for, with two routes the SL11 and SL12 already confirmed with Go Ahead and Stagecoach taking these on respectively. Unfortunately life gets in the way which has limited our ability to post lately, but please ensure that you keep an eye on the 'Tenders' page on the blog which gets updated regularly and remains up to date. 

Do you want to see more 'Bakerloop' style routes? Where potentially extended rail lines instead get turned into express bus routes? Let us know in the comments section what you would like to see introduced next!