Croydon Council is preparing an ambitious bid for the London Underground’s Bakerloo line to be extended to the town despite Transport for London’s plans to lengthen it to Bromley.

The council is to lobby transport bosses to bring the Bakerloo line to Croydon and put the borough "metaphorically and literally well and truly on the map".

The line currently terminates in the south at Elephant and Castle but Transport for London (TfL) has drawn up plans to extend it to Bromley by 2030.

Croydon Council hopes to capitalise on Bromley Council's opposition to the proposed extension by pushing for the line to be diverted south-west from Lewisham instead.

Although the idea remains in its infancy, Croydon Council leader Councillor Tony Newman hopes to hold serious talks with Mayor of London Boris Johnson in the autumn.

He said: "In terms of Croydon's expansion - 350,000 people rapidly heading to 400,000 - and in terms of the fantastic use of the transport network and the pressure on it, we think it is the moment to bring it to Croydon.

"I think it is the logical next step.

“The Tube map is one of the iconic maps of the world and I would hope that coupled with the changing face of Croydon and the things we're doing with art, culture, Westfield and Hammerson, the retail offer coming to Croydon, it would put it metaphorically and literally well and truly on the map."

Last year, 96 per cent of respondents to TfL's consultation backed proposals for a £3bn extension that would take the Bakerloo line through Lewisham, Sydenham and Beckenham before ending at Hayes, in Bromley.

TfL hopes to start work by 2025.

But in January this year Bromley Council branded the plans "unacceptable" and said it would prefer to bring the Docklands Light Railway or Tramlink to the borough.

Coun Newman said: "I think it should have been Croydon in the first place and not Bromley.

"There is very strong cross-party support for it in Croydon."

Transport for London (TfL) has said it will consider proposals to extend the London Underground network to Croydon.

It said today (July 23) the option of diverting the line to Croydon instead of neighbouring borough Bromley would be looked at in the next consultation, expected later this year.

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The existing proposals for the Bakerloo line extension

Matt Yates, TfL’s Head of Planning Projects, said: "We are currently reviewing the results of the public consultation and the many route options suggested in the responses.

"The suggestion to extend the line to Croydon will be considered as part of this review."