TfL is asking Londoners for their preference on the names of two proposed new Bakerloo line stations.
Four new Bakerloo line stations will open as part of a proposed southbound extension from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham, due for completion around 2030. Two of these south London stations will be brand new builds, along the Old Kent Road, and as part of a new consultation, TfL wants to know what people would like to call them. The front runners are:
- For site 1 (at the junction of Old Kent Road and Dunton Road) — either Old Kent Road or Burgess Park.
- For site 2 (at the junction of Old Kent Road and Asylum Road) — either Old Kent Road or Asylum.
One of the stations, then, will in all likelihood wind up being called Old Kent Road. That seems appropriate as much of the next extension runs along the old Roman road. (The Bakerloo line colour is also on brand with Old Kent Road's Monopoly colour, too.)
Londonist's Geoff Marshall has already made his views on the name of 'Old Kent Road 1' very clear. He wants it to be called Burgess Park, after one of his preferred Parkrun routes:
The 10-week public consultation (which is the third one on this Bakerloo line extension) will also ask the public their views on:
- A new integrated station entrance at Elephant & Castle which would see the ticket halls for the Bakerloo and Northern lines combined.
- The route of the proposed tunnels from Lambeth North to Elephant & Castle, and Elephant & Castle to Lewisham.
- The location of the primary and secondary tunnelling work sites.
- A possible further extension of the route beyond Lewisham to Hayes and Beckenham Junction in Bromley.
So despite rumblings that the project might be postponed or cancelled, due a knock-on effect from Crossrail, TfL seems pretty upbeat that the extension will go ahead.
What ISN'T on the agenda is the possibility of the extension heading through Camberwell and Peckham, rather than via Old Kent Road. That particular bird has flown.
The new Bakerloo line consultation is open until 22 December 2019.
