Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor of London have unveiled the BL1, a new electric express bus route that will begin service on Saturday 27 September. Branded the Bakerloop, the BL1 runs between Waterloo and Lewisham, following the alignment of the long-discussed Bakerloo line extension and giving passengers a preview of the Tube upgrade that remains on the drawing board.
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| Transport for London |
The BL1 will operate every 12 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 15 minutes on Sundays, evenings and early mornings. Stops include Waterloo, Elephant & Castle, Burgess Park, Old Kent Road, New Cross Gate, Lewisham station and Lewisham town centre.
All vehicles are fully electric double-deck buses: the route will use existing Enviro400 City EV buses, branded in the brown and white Bakerloop livery, fitted with USB type A charging points and priority seating, reflecting TfL’s wider push to decarbonise its bus fleet (the buses are operated by London General under contract to TfL).
To encourage trial journeys the service will be free for its first week, from 05:00 on 27th September until 23:59 on 5th October. Passengers must still tap in with an Oyster or contactless card, but no charge will be deducted.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“I’m proud to unveil the Bakerloop – a brand-new, express electric bus service linking communities from Waterloo to Lewisham.
“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.
“To celebrate its launch – and after overwhelming support in our consultation – the Bakerloop will be free to use for its first week. This is a chance for Londoners to experience first-hand how this service can cut journey times, reduce pollution and transform everyday travel across our capital.”
The new service has been designed to highlight the potential benefits of extending the Bakerloo line south from Elephant & Castle. Consultation on the BL1 earlier this year showed strong public backing, with 82 per cent of respondents saying the express route would be more convenient and 79 per cent expecting faster journeys. TfL continues to work with the London boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark on tunnel and station designs for a future Tube extension, although funding remains unresolved.
Southwark Council has backed the scheme with over £5 million of Section 106 developer contributions from the Old Kent Road area, a corridor earmarked for thousands of new homes. Local leaders see the bus as both a practical upgrade and a political lever to keep the rail extension alive.
Lorna Murphy, TfL’s Director of Buses, said:“We’re excited to be welcoming customers onto the brand-new express BL1 bus connecting Waterloo and Lewisham with faster and more direct journeys. To celebrate its launch, all bus rides on the BL1 will be completely free for customers in the first week, so we encourage everyone to take advantage of this offer. As always, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the network to make sure services continue to meet customer demands.”
“The new Bakerloop bus service is an exciting interim step, now providing much-needed additional transport capacity for South London and the increasing numbers of people living along the Old Kent Road. The consultation with the local community showed that this new bus route will make life easier for those commuting now in the area but it will also highlight the urgent need to move on with the Bakerloo Line Upgrade and Extension.Brenda Dacres, Mayor of Lewisham, said:
“I’m proud of the role we’ve played in helping to deliver this new service through developer contributions but our attention will not divert from the ultimate goal of seeing the Bakerloo Line Upgrade and Extension project become a reality – with the backing of 76 per cent of residents and 89 per cent of businesses, we know this will be the key to unlocking new jobs, new homes and a £1.5bn per year economic boost for the national economy.”
“The launch of the new Bakerloop express bus is a welcome and exciting development for south east London, and we’re pleased to see the Mayor investing in our local transport network. By following part of the proposed extension route, it brings to life the vision of the Bakerloo Line Extension – offering the promise of faster, greener and more direct journeys for everyone.Dr Polyvios Polyviou, Programme Director for Transport at BusinessLDN, said:
“Though this new service is a positive step, many communities south of Lewisham will still remain underserved, and bus travel simply doesn’t match the speed or efficiency of trains. That’s why the Bakerloo Line Extension remains crucial – not only for delivering the transformative connectivity our borough needs, but also for unlocking the new homes, jobs and wider economic benefits.”
“The launch of the ‘Bakerloop’ service marks an important addition to the capital’s vital bus network, extending its reach to currently underserved Londoners. While this new electric express bus service is a very welcome step forward in the short-term, the long-term priority remains extending the Bakerloo line, and it’s encouraging to hear TfL reconfirm its commitment to the project. With the public finances stretched, the private sector stands ready to work with TfL to make the extension a reality, drawing on lessons from Crossrail and the Northern Line extension to Battersea.”
The Bakerloop joins the growing Superloop family of orbital express buses that are reshaping outer London travel. With BL1 included the Superloop network now spans around 203 kilometres and adds almost eight million bus-kilometres per year to the capital’s timetable. Other routes in development include the SL11 between Abbey Wood and North Greenwich and the SL12 between Gants Hill and Ferry Lane in Rainham, both due to launch in 2026, plus consultations for SL13, SL14 and SL15.
For readers outside the capital the Superloop is TfL’s attempt to create a high-frequency express bus grid in areas where rail connections are patchy. It is also a key part of the Mayor’s transport strategy to cut car dependency, with electrification central to reducing emissions. TfL is committed to converting its entire bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2034, with earlier targets possible if funding allows.
The Bakerloop is therefore more than a new bus. It is a live demonstration of how express electric services can boost connectivity in dense urban corridors while the long and politically fraught business of major rail investment grinds on. For Londoners it offers a quicker, cleaner link across south east London today. For the wider industry it is another case study in how cities can use high-spec buses to bridge the gap between aspiration and delivery in the decarbonisation era.
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