Sadiq Khan on Tuesday proposed to extend the Superloop express bus network to provide an alternative to the unfunded £10bn Bakerloo line extension.
The mayor promised to bring forward a “Bakerloop” limited stop service that would link Elephant and Castle and Lewisham - the proposed first section of the long-envisaged Tube extension - if he is re-elected on May 2.
This would “track” the route of the extension – for which Transport for London has failed to secure Government funding – by calling at Burgess Park, Old Kent Road, and New Cross Gate.
Precise details, costs or a launch date have not been published but the Bakerloop would have fewer stops than the 21 bus, which currently links Old Kent Road and Lewisham in about 36 minutes.
The buses would be fitted out in a brown Bakerloo-style colour scheme, including moquette seating that matches the Tube line.
The first part of the Superloop network launched last July.
Nine of the 10 sections are now in place, most recently the SL2 linking Walthamstow and North Woolwich, the SL3 linking Thamesmead and Bromley North and the SL5 linking Bromley North and Croydon.
The final part of the network, the SL4, linking Grove Park and Canary Wharf, will not start running until summer next year as its route will take it through the Silvertown tunnel.
The Superloop is part of a £6m investment in the outer London bus network that aims to get Londoners out of cars. Four of its nine sections were already in existence but have been rebranded and had theirfrequencies doubled.
Mr Khan said: “The new Superloop services have been a huge success in outer London so far, and if I’m re-elected the new Bakerloop express will help Londoners get between Elephant and Castle, Old Kent Road, New Crossand Lewisham much quicker and more easily. “I continue to make the case as strongly as ever that we need the Bakerloo line Tube extension to get underway as soon as possible, and TfL are lobbying ministers about the funding the project needs. In the meantime I’m determined that we do all we can to provide the very best service across south London.”
But critics claim the Superloop is little more than a cosmetic make-over. The buses on the SL3 route are rebranded “Boris bus” Routemasters rather than zero emission vehicles, while only single deckers can be used on the SL5 route because of low trees.
Susan Hall, the Tory mayoral candidate, said: “This Blunderloop is yet another Superflop from Sadiq Khan. Instead of delivering the much needed Bakerloo line extension, Sadiq Khan has decided to settle for a bus.”
According to TfL, the four express routes that were rebranded Superloops have seen an increase in passenger numbers 15 percentage points higher than the Londonwide increase in bus travel.
However, when the loss of passengers on “parallel” routes is factored in, there has been a three point overall increase.
TfL said it was too early to assess the impact of the five totally new routes. An update is expected by the Autumn.
However, nine in 10 passengers said their experience of the Superloop was better than other TfL buses.
Last month a report backed by TfL warned that the Bakerloo line was “at risk of critical failure” without an urgent overhaul and the replacement of its 52-year-old trains.
Two years ago the cost of the extension to Lewisham was estimated at between £5.2bn and £8.7bn at 2021 prices, plus a further £800m to £1.9bn for the second leg to Hayes.
However neither the new trains nor the extension is included in TfL’s business plan, which sets out its investment priorities to 2026/27.
